


My Soul is Enochian

by Seasnake



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fix-It, Fluff and Angst, John's A+ Parenting, M/M, Other, Past Jessica Moore/Sam Winchester, Season/Series 01, Season/Series 02, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-06
Updated: 2016-03-26
Packaged: 2018-02-20 02:22:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 36,352
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2411453
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Seasnake/pseuds/Seasnake
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In an alternate world where God gifted humanity with the name of their soulmate. Two angels have motivation to prevent the tragic destiny of the Winchesters and appear to the brothers before originally written. In Castiel's case, he joined Dean's side the second Sam left for college. Alternate Seasons 1-3</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Episode 1

**Author's Note:**

> Happier version of Supernatural. Totally inspired by another fanfic I read a while ago but I can’t find it again so I can’t credit it. :(

Dean knew he was going be a hunter. He could already help Dad on hunts by the time a name appeared on his wrist. Seeing the gibberish symbols that not even the hunter community could recognize was actually a bit of a relief. His name probably belonged to some monster that he would later have to kill. It just solidified his destiny instead of interfering with it. 

His nonsense name also gave Sam another thing to bitch about. Sam got a perfectly normal name and insisted Dean’s would be too if he just found the right translation. Dean would prove him wrong by going to bar. His monster soulmate wouldn’t care if he slept around and sure enough nobody ever showed up to stop him.  
==  
Sam finally found Jess at Stamford. Proving once and for all that ditching the family business was the right decision. Despite their estrangement, Sam left Dean a voice message so he could know the good news. He purposefully called at prime, bar/hunting hour so they didn’t actually talk but it was a step in the right direction. Dean could be a jerk but it wasn’t his fault their family was so screwed up. Dean left him a return message saying congrats so Sam chalked it up as a win.  
==  
Sam knew he shouldn’t have ignored those nightmares. Now Jess was dead, just like mom. It seemed the family business wouldn’t let him go. It killed his soulmate, he was supposed to spend the rest of his life with her. Now he just had a black mourning band on his wrist. 

Sam heard the familiar roar of the Impala before the old onix car rolled into the parking lot. He smiled sadly as Dean parked, then a bit happier as his brother got out of the car. Good old Dean, he looked exactly the same as he had four years ago. 

“Sammy.” He let the kid name pass as they hugged hello. “Damn, you got even taller.” Dean grinned before turning concerned. “How you holding up?”

“I’m working on it. Is Dad…”  


“Actually, I haven’t heard from Dad for over a month. We were out looking for him when you called.”

“We?”

“Um…yeah,” Dean looked back at the car. There was a body in the passenger seat that Sam hadn’t noticed before. At Dean’s look, it opened the passenger door. A dark haired and scruffy man in a cheap suit, tie and tan overcoat emerged from the vehicle.

“Hello Samuel.” He greeted in a deep voice.

“Yeah…This is, Castiel. He’s my soulmate.” Sam stood there dumbly for a moment. Fortunately it was only about a second before his brain rebooted. 

“Hey, it’s great to meet you.” He offered his hand but Castiel just looked down at it. Rather than rude he seemed genuinely confused. He took Sam’s hand in both of his, more like a pastor than a handshake.

“Samuel Winchester. Dean’s promises are my own, it will be an honor to fight destiny on your behalf,” he said seriously. Sam glanced to Dean for an explanation and he purposefully looked elsewhere. 

“Hah hah, he’s a riot isn’t he?” Dean gave a forced laugh. He wrapped an arm around Castiel’s shoulders and pulled him away from Sam a bit. Castiel simply continued to look befuddled. “So, are you sure this is the same as Mom? You check EMF?”

“It’s the same,” Sam snapped. “We have to kill it, Dean.”

“Well then let’s find the bastard.” Dean slapped his shoulder.

“We haven’t found it yet, Dad hasn’t found it yet.”

“Yeah, well now we’ve got…” Dean started to brag then frowned and trailed off with a contemplative look at Castiel.

“You’re a hunter?” That could make sense, Dean was so entrenched in the family business that even his mate was part of it. Cas didn’t say anything, just looked to Dean for direction. 

“Close enough,” Dean shrugged and changed the topic. Sam figured that maybe he was just awkward with a soulmate and a brother he hadn’t seen in years so he let it slide. 

Dean and Castiel had been headed to California to look into Dad’s last case when Sam called. They spent a week at Stamford looking for leads. It was time for Sam and Dean to catch up but Cas made himself scarce. He had a habit of showing up with food whenever Dean mentioned being hungry but otherwise always seemed to be elsewhere. Sam was focused on Jess so he didn’t ask and neither Dean nor Cas offered anything about the man’s past or his relationship with Dean. They didn’t act much like a couple. They were very comfortable in each other’s personal space and would occasionally wrap and arm around a shoulder but otherwise didn’t do PDAs.

Eventually, Sam had to admit that there was nothing at Stamford and all hope for catching Jess’ killer lay with finding Dad. The three of them drove to the sunshine state. Cas sat in the backseat, either looking out the window or staring into space. Sam didn’t ever see him sleep but he spent a lot of time dozing and fighting with nightmares, who was he to judge? Cas still didn’t say much and always looked to Dean for cues before speaking to Sam. It was starting to get suspicious.

On the way to town they noticed some police cars and pulled over. Dean had Cas wait in the car while they talked to the officers. They then found Dad’s motel room but not the old man. Even his journal and half-finished lunch were there, which was worrisome. When someone knocked on the door Sam opened it only to say hello to police officers. Dean and Castiel escaped out a window while Sam was arrested. 

Later, Cas showed up to the station. Somehow he got past all the police and walked Sam out the back door without anybody noticing. Sam was starting to suspect that this guy was a witch or something. He didn’t get a chance to ask because his phone rang. 

“Hey, Cas get you?”

“Yeah, he’s here. How exactly?”

“Geeze Sammy, always looking the gift…Oh Shit!” The call ended with static and tire squeal. 

“Samuel?” Cas tilted his head at Sam’s startled expression.

“I think Dean found the ghost. But she only goes after unfaithful…he hasn’t?” Those years of bar crawling were coming back to bite him? But how did that count as being unfaithful if he hadn’t met Cas yet? And Dean wouldn’t cheat on his mate, right?

Cas’ face scrunched up in anger. He took a step closer to Sam and raised a hand. Sam flinched, a little worried that he was about to be punched, but Cas just touched his forehead. He didn’t get a chance to wonder at the curious action before the floor fell away. For a fraction of a second he was on a roller coaster, falling off a bike, dangling in the claws of a giant bird, then he stood in front of a road. Sam stood there dumbly, trying to regain his bearings. Cas didn’t wait for his confusion, he thundered over to the Impala, that was somehow right there. Inside, the woman in white loomed menacingly over Dean, her spectral form flickering. No hesitation, Cas thrust and arm through the open window. The woman glanced up too late to avoid his touch. Light exploded from his fingers and ignited her soul. The ghost screamed as she caught fire and burned into nothingness. The light faded, turning the abandoned roadway dark again.

“Thanks Babe.” Dean sat up, not at all fazed.

“Whoa, whoa!” Years of training had Sam stumbling back and reaching for a weapon he didn't have. “Did he just kill that ghost?”

“Uh,” only then did Dean notice Sam’s presence. “Yeah, he can do that.” He got out of the car door and looked at Cas with a shrug. “Guess the cat’s out of the bag.” The super-powered man took that as his cue to reaprouch Sam, one hand out for a handshake.

“Samuel Winchester, I am Castiel of Thursday, Angel of the Lord. Dean asked me to wait on formal introductions.”

“What? An angel?” Sam quickly repeated, not waiting for an answer. “Really?” He glanced around Cas at Dean, whose face told him everything he needed to know. “Holy shit, I mean…” This time he was the one to eagerly grab Cas’ handshake with both hands. “Wow. You’re an angel?”

“Yes.” Sam took a second to look the strange man up and down. He looked human but angels were supposed to be able to do that. It all made sense, with the social awkwardness and the anticipating Dean's needs, and the nonsense letters on Dean's wrist...

“Jesus Sam, are you drooling?”

“Dean, you’re mates with an angel?” 

“Yeah, I didn’t believe that an angel choose me either. But you saw, he can fly and smite things.”

“That’s not what I…” Sam started but Cas talked over him.

“You are worthy of being saved, Dean,” it sounded like he had told him this before. “He won’t believe me,” Cas said to Sam.

“Yeah, what else is new?” Sam said breathlessly then focused back on Cas. “What are you doing here? You didn't come sooner?” This must be a sore spot because Cas’ face darkened.

“Gabriel ordered my continued presence in Heaven, I came as soon as I was able.”

“Gabriel?”

“He and Michael are the current leaders of the Heavenly Host.”

“And that’s a long story that we can have in the car,” Dean spoke up. Sam followed his lead and walked to the car but couldn't hold in his excitement for long.

“Christian mythos, then,” Sam continued as he got into his seat. “It’s all real.”

“It’s the most accurate of available accounts.”

“So there’s a devil, Lucifer?”

“Currently sealed in Hell, yes.” Cas sat ramrod straight in the backseat like he had for all the other drives.

“That’s the problem, ain’t it?” Dean talked to Cas via the rear view mirror while he turned on the car.

“Michael wishes Lucifer released,” Cas embellished for Sam’s benefit.

“What? Why?” This was all going very quickly for Sam.

“He believes it to be God’s will. I don’t agree with him,” he added the last bit as if he worried Sam might accuse him of that.

“Hold on, in Heaven the archangels Michael and Gabriel are trying to decide whether or not to release the devil?” Sam reiterated.

“My brothers are in a civil war,” Castiel nodded, seemingly pleased that Sam understood. “I’m part of Gabriel’s faction.”

Sam allowed himself a minute to process that. This was suddenly very big. Since when did they hunt demons let alone meet angels? He looked over at Dean but he was strangely calm.

“Our skirmishes have so far resulted in few deaths,” Cas offered as if that might be reassurance.

“You’re okay with this?” Sam asked his brother.

“Oh, I had my freakout you just weren’t here for it.” 

“However, Gabriel fears things will soon escalate which is why he finally allowed me to guard Dean.”

“He’s your guardian angel?” scary topic of conversation or not, that deserved a prod at Dean.

“No.” “Yes.” Dean and Cas gave simultaneous conflicting answers.

==  
“So, Castiel?” Sam prompted. They were stopped at a dive hamburger joint just the two of them, Cas had flown to Heaven with a sound of flapping wings Sam hadn’t noticed before, so it was a good time for conversation but Dean refused to take the cue. “He’s…nice?” Dean gave a grunt and a shrug. “How’d you meet?”

“On a job. Thought he was nuts at first. Kept following me around, saying I was in danger and he no longer ‘wished to see me fight alone’. Then he smote a few things, I shot him, he didn’t die. Showed me his wings and let me stab him a few times to make sure he wasn’t lying. Now I can’t get rid of him.”

“You’re happy with him?” Sam probably should have asked that sooner but he had been grieving. 

Dean gave a noncommittal shrug. “He was the first virgin I had since…ever.”

“That’s so not what I was asking.”

“Thousands of years worth of sexual frustration and super strong, and, damn, if you think his voice is hot now…”

“Dude!”

“Doesn’t like me saying ‘god’ ‘Jesus’ in bed, though. Left me with blue balls.”

“Really?” Sam was ready to cover his ears.

“You asked.”

“No, I didn’t. So your name, then, it’s Enocian?”

“How’d you know that?”

“Language of the angels, but it’s not supposed to be real.”

“Angels aren’t supposed to be real,” he muttered into his beer.

“Demons are real. I’m not surprised.”

“Yeah, well you’re secretly a girl.”

“Jerk.”

“Bitch.”


	2. Season 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alternate Season 1. I tried to write it so that you don't have to have seen the show to know what's going on. Split into episodes.  
> Authors comments are referenced with *

Episode 2  
Dad had left them coordinates so that’s where they were heading. Sam expected to find him there, the old man better not have them running in circles. Dean was a little awkward around Cas and Sam. As if he was worried that Sam would change his mind and decide Castiel needed to be killed. That really wasn’t going to happen, though. 

Sam didn’t mind that angels were real. And although it was uncomfortable to see Dean a little different than how he used to be, he was different in a good way. He’d grown up a little bit, been tamed by Cas, just a touch. It would be selfish for Sam to want anything else for him, he was happy for his brother.

Dad wasn’t there but missing campers were, or weren’t because they were missing. Cas got the snot beat out of him by the wendigo. His neck got turned around backwards and a bite taken out of him. Then he stood right back up and stabbed the bastard. It was a little disconcerting but, wow, really, really helpful.

4  
A call from one of Dad and Dean’s old rescues got them on their first demon. As soon as they found sulfur Dean called Cas down with a prayer. He had been busy with angel business and fighting demons with his garrison but arrived to help regardless. Sam memorized a Latin exorcism from Dad’s journal and a few Enocian wards that Cas shared. Castiel also had his smiting trick but that created a flash of light that would draw attention so in a crowd they’d stick to Latin. All of a sudden they were big league hunters, going after demons. The only problem was finding the bastard. Cas couldn’t find the demon without its name. 

They ended up following the stewardess and survivor of crash #1 onto a crowded plane. Dean was ready to shit his pants and Cas was baffled by the whole ritual and concept of mass transit. This left Sam trying to manage a nervous brother and a clueless angel that was getting stressed from Dean’s stress and capable of accidentally punching a hole in the plane. By some miracle they survived with collective sanities in tact. 

 

==  
Sam just wanted to find Dad, meanwhile Dean preferred to follow his every order and continue hunting as if nothing were wrong. Typical Dean, not wanting to talk about anything and always the dutiful son. Sam hoped to talk to Castiel about that but he was having trouble getting the angel alone. Dean purposefully told Cas to spend extra time upstairs so Sam wouldn’t feel bad about seeing Dean in a relationship so soon after loosing Jess. Such a dumb big brother move. When Cas was around he was always hanging off of and/or staring at Dean. His aura of incredible social awkwardness made Sam a little cautious to approach him. Didn’t want to traumatize his potential brother in law. 

Dad had them running in circles while he was tracking down the demon that killed Mom and Jess. He refused to read them in which Sam didn’t understand. You’d think he’d want an angel’s help for finding a demon.

“Uh…” Dean grunted. “Yeah, weird.”

Sam recognized that BS. “I thought you met Cas before Dad went missing.” Dean didn’t look at him. “Dean.”

“Shut up, Sam.”

“God, you can’t even stand up to Dad to introduce Cas?”

“We don’t exactly have the best history with monsters, or non-human things.”

“It’s because he’s a boy isn’t it?”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I’m not stupid, Dean.”

“No, you know everything,” Dean snapped.

“Hey,” Sam changed to a more pacifying tone, “I don’t care. I don’t care that he’s an angel or a man or giant ball of light or whatever he is. He’s helped us and he makes you happy that’s good enough for me, really.” Dean looked away so they wouldn’t have to talk about more feelings but Sam could recognize that he was feeling better.

5  
They hadn’t been on the road very long, but already traveling was a bit different than Sam remembered. They still frequented crappy hotels and were sitting around waiting for word from Dad but Castiel’s inconsistent visits shook things up. They only got two hotel rooms when Sam insisted. Dean didn’t mind sharing a bed with Cas and a room with Sam at the same time. Sam would go to sleep with only Dean’s snoring and wake up to him and Cas cuddled together. It was really weird. So far he’d avoided overhearing awkward sex noises so either Cas was a lot quieter than some of Dean’s previous flings, they were flying to Cas’s nest, or Dean wasn’t actually getting as much as he wanted Sam to believe. Not that Cas stayed over often nor did Sam sleep much, nightmares. 

Dean flirted like he breathed and he stopped neither. He still looked appreciatingly at the sexy waitress as she served them but didn’t follow her around the room with his eyes. He said hello to the women at bars but promised nothing further then pleasant conversation. It was a subtle change but his currant bad pick-up lines were more playful than his previous ‘I have a car let’s get in the backseat right now’. When Sam called attention to this fact, Dean denied being any less of a lady’s man. He wasn’t going to cheat on Cas though, that would be a dick move.

The whiny nine-year-old in Sam was jealous that his big brother had someone new to dote on. But the reasonable part of his brain pointed out that Dean wasn’t treating him any different just cause of Castiel. Dean wouldn’t have been jealous of Sam spending time with Jess. God, he missed her. She had burned to death...

“Sam wake up!” Dean shook his brother awake.

“I take it I was having a nightmare,” Sam righted himself in the passenger seat of the impala.

“Yeah, another one.”

“Hey, at least I got some sleep.”

“You know, sooner or later we’re going to have to talk about this,” Dean warned before going back to the case notes. They had no leads on Dad so they were investigating the strange death reported in a newspaper. Saving people was the one good thing about this lifestyle.

“We here?” Sam glanced around.

“Yeah, welcome to Tolito Ohio.” Dean shrugged so Sam stretched and grabbed the paper in question.

“So what do you think really happened to this guy?” Sam asked while looking at the suspicious newspaper article. 

“That’s what we’re going to find out.”

“Cas, take off?” Sam glanced to the empty back seat.

“Right after you conked out. Didn’t want him round for this interview anyway.”  
They went inside to get a look at the victim’s body, which involved lying to the doctor on duty. Cas hadn't quite gotten that dishonesty thing down so they didn't call him.

They were most likely dealing with a ghost but they had to find her before Cas could smite her so it was to the library. Looking up anyone named Mary who died in front of a mirror. The library computers were out of order so they went to the archives. Sam didn't know if Cas could do research or not but Dean prayed for him anyway, if nothing else to carry mountain of paperwork back to the motel for them. Unsurprisingly, Sam dozed off partway through a stack of papers. 

Sam jerked awake from another nightmare. “Why’d you let me fall asleep?” He complained to Dean. Both he and Cas were still at the table.

“Cause I’m an awesome brother. So, what’d you dream about?”

“Lollipops and candy canes.”

“Yeah, sure,” Dean let him off with that. 

“Sarcasm?” Cas checked.

“Yep.”

“You find anything?” Sam asked.

“Besides a whole new level of frustration, no. We looked at everything.”

“I still think the death by falling mirror is most likely,” Cas added.

“The dude’s name was Dave,” said Dean.

Sam ignored them and looked at the papers himself. They weren't finding anything until another victim died. Another girl died in front of a mirror but her friend noticed the trend and was willing the help the hunters investigate. She was already open to believeing in ghosts so Cas’ blunt commentary didn’t put her off. They found creepy drawings in blood on the back of the two mirrors. The only murder in the region that also had a handpint on a mirror was the murder of Mary Worthington. She’d been cremated but the mirror she wrote the name of her killer on had just been sold to an antique store in Toledo. 

The helpful girl, Charlie, called with an emergency before thy could get to the mirror. Mary was after her now. She was a smart kid and had her sweater pulled over her face so she couldn’t see anything and refused to open her eyes until they had every reflective surface covered.

They found the mirror in the antique store no problem. Sam volunteered to summon Mary back to her original mirror so they could be certain to get rid of her. Cas had never tired grabbing a spirit out of a mirror before so this was their best shot.

Sam waited in front of the mirror while Dean spotted cops outside. “Cas, gimme a hand here, cops,” he told his angel before stepping outside. “Hey, officers, beautiful evening, isn’t it?” Cas teleported in behind them and put the two police officers painlessly to sleep with a tap to the forehead. “That never gets old,” Dean shook his head and held the door open for Cas to go back inside. “Sam?” the sound of a crowbar hitting the floor was the response. “Sam!” Dean rushed over to where the creepy mirror was telling Sam that he killed Jessica and grabbed the discarded tool. He shattered the mirror into a thousand pieces without any trouble. When he looked back at Sam, Cas was already by his side and healing his bleeding eyes. “You alright, Sammy?”

“It’s Sam.” Dean laughed it off and helped his brother up. That should have been it but…

“Dean,” Cas noticed the problem first. Hearing the angel concerned made the brothers turn around in time to see Mary’s ghost crawl out of the now empty frame, which was really creepy. Despite the unexpected horror aspect, Cas didn’t hesitate to smite her when she turned her power on the brothers. Fortunately breaking her mirror had put her within angel grabbing range.

They dropped Charlie off at her house and Sam told her to forgive herself for the death of her boyfriend.  
“Now that this is all over, you going to tell me that secret?” Dean readdressed the topic of his nightmares as they drove out of town.

“Dean, you’re my brother and I’d die for you but there are some things I need to keep to myself,” Sam said reasonably. 

“If you still require sleep I can help,” Cas offered after a moment of silence.

“Oh yeah, you should take it he has this great psychic thing.”

“Uh, I don’t think I want any of that.” 

Dean gave him and exasperated look. “He can knock out people with angel mojo.”

“What else would I be offering?”

6  
A shapeshifter got the drop on them but a quick prayer to Cas and they had an angel rescue from the sewer and Mr. Smitty to take out the monster. 

==  
If Sam didn’t start getting more sleep soon he might just let Cas knock him unconscious. Was that better or worse than popping sleeping pills? He was half dozing in bed when familiar grunting came from the other side of the wall. How sad was it that he could recognize his brother’s sex noises? That’s what happens when you live out of a car and your brother has no sense propriety. 

In the past he’d sometimes just cover his ears and ignore it but now was also treated to Cas groaning, “Dean, Dean.” Nope. It’s one thing to ignore a girl, he didn’t know and would never see again, leaving Dean’s room in the mourning but he’d have to see both Cas and Dean all tomorrow and the day after. Sam shrugged on his coat right as the unmistakable thuds of a bed hitting the wall started.  
“I’m happy for them, no really I’m happy for them,” Sam muttered this mantra as he left the building. Even from outside it was obvious that every light bulb in the motel was flickering on and off. Forget separate rooms, separate hotels might be necessary.

8  
Sam reclined on the hood of the Impala while Dean finished up inside the bar. Was it odd that this was the closest thing he had to a childhood home? A car, a dive bar, and scanning a newspaper for suspicious deaths. And after everything recently it was starting to look like it might be his forever home too. 

“You know, we could get day jobs once in a while.” He turned a bit of his ire on Dean when he came out waving a bundle of cash. 

“Hunting’s our day job and the pay is crap.” Dean just sorted through his bills.

“Yeah, but hustling pool credit card scams, not the most honest thing in the world, Dean.”

“Well, let’s see honest, fun and easy,” Dean pantomimed scales.

“And you’re supposed to be mated to an angel?”

“The angels are dicks. You need to see Cas play pool, sometime, laser focus.” Sam shook his head. “So we got a new gig or what?”  
==  
“You found beetles in a hole in the ground, that’s fascinating, Sam,” Dean said sardonically while driving. Sam poked at one dead beetle. Cas leaned forward from the backseat to stare intently over his shoulder at the insect. 

“There were no tracks, no sign of any other life down there. Now some beetles have been known to eat meat, it’s usually dead meat but.” Sam thought beetles killed the man.

“How many of them did you find down there?”

“Ten,” Sam admitted.

“Well it’d take a lot more than that to eat a dude’s brain.”

“Well maybe there were more.”

“Hey, Cas, that bug normal?”

“Yes,” Castiel confirmed.

“What if it was controlled by a spell or something,” Sam continued. 

“Impossible to tell,” Cas answered.

“I think I know a good place to start looking,” Dean eyed a sign advertising an open house. “I could do with a little barbeque. How about you, Babe?” That made Cas lean almost entirely over the center console, into the driver’s seat. “What? Can’t talk to the locals?” Dean noticed Sam’s amused expression.

“And the free food’s got nothing to do with it?”

“Of course not, I’m a professional.”

“I never pay for food,” Cas pointed out.

Dean parked the car and they all climbed out. “This place freaks me out,” Dean complained as they walked up to the house. They were investigating in a housing project, nice two story homes and green lawns all down the street.

“Why?” Sam asked.

“The manicured lawns, ‘how was your day honey’, I’d blow my brains out,” grumbled Dean.

“Many humans move to these large community dwellings then commit suicide,” Cas added. The brothers gave him a look. “Apparently there is ‘social pressure’”* more air quotes from the angel.

“See, he agrees."

“There’s nothing wrong with normal,” Sam rolled his eyes.

“I’d take our family over normal any day,” said Dean.

A middle aged man opened the door for them when they knocked.  
“This the barbecue?” Dean asked about the sign out front.

“Yes not the best weather but,” he glanced at the cloudy sky. That had Cas staring at the clouds in befuddlement. “I’m Larry Poik, the developer here. And you are…”

“Dean, this is Sam, that’s Castiel.”

“Sam, Castiel, good to meet you.” Dean stood between the angel and the door so he didn’t have to shake hands.

“So you’re interested in Oasis Plains?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Let me just say we accept home owners of any race, religion, color or sexual orientation.” Like most middle class straight men he said the last one with a bit of awkwardness. Sam bit back a laugh. Dean looked like he wanted to comment but Cas beat him to it.

“They are brothers, Dean is my mate.” He leaned on Dean and hugged his middle from behind. 

“Our dad is getting on in years, we were looking for a place for him,” Sam added, in case Dean couldn’t feign enthusiasm for ‘manicured lawn’ hell.

“Well, seniors are welcome too. Come in.”

He led them to the back yard, Cas still hanging to Dean.  
“Dude, you jealous of Sam now?”

“I do not enjoy allusions to the fact that I am unworthy of you. My brothers already expressed such.”

“Cas, if someone’s unworthy here, it’s me.” Cas didn’t get a chance to further argue because they reached the backyard and had to focus on work.

They split up but were all bombarded with retaliators trying to sell them houses. In between sales pitches the were able to ask about the dead man. Cas didn't ask much at all, just helped himself to a burger. The most interesting person at the gathering was a young man with a pet spider. Sam handed the teenager back his tarantula. Apparently his old man didn’t approve of his bug friends, though. Angry kid that might be killing people with bugs. Great, possible witch.

After the sales lady died over the night, they followed Mathew-bug-man into the forest. He went straight for a stick bug rather than some hidden hoodoo hide out, so it might not be him but they needed to talk to him anyway.

“You know a lot about insects.”

“So?” 

“So, you hear what happened to Linda the relater?” Sam asked about the most recent death.

“I heard she died this morning,” Mathew-bug-man nodded.

“That’s right, spider bites,” Dean said.

“Spider’s aren’t insects,” Cas helpfully contributed. Dean rolled his eyes.

“I saw you scare her with a spider,” Sam ignored the color commentary.

“Wait, you think I had something to do with it?” The kid was freaked out now.

“You tell us.”

Mat led them to an insect covered gravesite. According to the locals the bones were victims of a massacre that had placed a curse on the land. Larry-the-developer didn’t want to leave but Cas flew everybody out. Thank goodness for angel transportation otherwise they might have been stuck there for the cursed night, no way they could have survived that.

*Yes I just implied that people who commit suicide go to Heaven.

10  
Ghosts, no matter how many or how strong, were no match for an angel, so investigating a haunted asylum wasn't nearly as dangerous as it could have been. Things were going so well that Sam actually had to hold Cas back from smiting a couple of ghosts that just wanted to communicate and not harm. 

“Where do they go after you smite ‘em?” Dean asked after they had killed the malicious ghost of the place.

“All ghosts go to hell.”

“Good, sick bastard deserves it,” Dean grumbled about the ghost doctor.

Also the pair of teenage soulmates they had saved from the asylum were now on much better terms with their relationship. The girl had taken the shotgun and showed her boyfriend that she was a lot braver than he was. Yep, their marriage would be a happy one now that everyone knew who wore the pants in their relationship. 

11  
Cas was in heaven for Sam’s and Dean’s argument so he had no comment on Sam ditching Dean in favor of looking for Dad. Sam changed his mind and rejoined the group before Cas showed up to help rip the cursed tree up by its roots and lecture the villagers on sin. If Dean whined about Sam’s behavior to his boyfriend he didn’t do it while Sam was within earshot.

12  
Post civilian rescue mission, Sam filed a report with the police officers and took Dean to the hospital. “We were just taking a shortcut through the neighborhood and um, the windows were rolled down and we heard some screaming as we drove past the house and we stopped, ran in.” Not exactly a lie other than the just happening to be in the neighborhood part. They'd been chasing the bastard but the police didn't need to know that. They'd killed it with electricity so as far as the police were concerned it was a perfectly normal human psycho in the morgue.

“You found the kids in the basement?” the uniformed officers nodded along with his story.

“Yeah.”

“Well thank god you did.” Sam smiled a bit at the praise, it was nice to occasionally be thanked for their work.

“Excuse me,” he noticed the doctor he had left Dean with. “Hey, Doc, is he?”

“He’s very fortunate. The electrocution triggered a heart attack. Normally we see some sort of damage afterwards but you’re brother’s heart faired just fine. He should make a full recovery.” 

Sam thanked the doctor and hurried to Dean’s room. Considering the medical miracle he wasn’t overly surprised to find Cas sitting next to Dean’s bed.

“Hello, Sam.”

“Hey Cas.”

“I apologize for my late arrival, Gabriel was holding an audience with Death.” Cas continued speaking.

“With who?” Dean, hale and healthy, asked from the bed.

“Death, one of his reapers has disappeared.”

“Grim reapers?” Sam sat down.

“Yes, they work for Death guiding the souls of deceased humans to either Heaven or Hell.”

“So one of them’s missing what’s the issue?” Dean asked.

“I’ve never met him myself but Gabriel says Death cares for his employees and that locating this missing one will go far towards earning us his favor. We need all the allies we can get.”

“So this guys’ missing missing, not extra long lunch break missing.” Dean didn't seem bothered by the idea of grim reapers at all.

“How would we find a grime reaper?” Sam asked. Reapers were real, too? That was harder to believe than angels.

Cas shook his head. “Angels can’t locate Death without his permission. It’s part of our powers.”

“Guessing you can’t kidnap a reaper either,” Dean said. “So what are we looking at?”

“Most likely a human that’s why Gabriel sent me to ask for your help.”

“You really need our help with your war effort?” Sam asked, this sounded concerning all of a sudden.

“Still, can you picture how much bad mojo it would take to keep a reaper locked up? Seriously nasty witch and that’s right up our alley.” Dean pointed out.

It took a bit of asking around but they eventually did find someone who seemed to have suspicious control over life and death. A faith healer believe it or not, Dean preferred not. They went to observe a sermon in his very fancy, tent church. Muddy surroundings aside, he seemed to be the real deal as he healed an old man on oxygen. A quick check confirmed that an openly gay high school teacher died at the same time the man was healed. Wow, another homophobe? How could these religious fanatics worship the sacredness of soulmates but get upset when a man had another man's name? This was why Dean wouldn’t tell Dad about Cas. And Cas wasn’t even technically a man.

Quick look through the preacher’s house turned up black magic books and an altar. Usually that’s it but they also had to get the necklace off the wife of the pastor and smash that as well. Controlling a reaper to make her husband famous and punish the wicked. Apparently this pissed off the reaper because she dropped dead almost immediately. 

Another day saved and Cas confirmed that the bound reaper had returned to his work and that Death and Gabriel appreciated their efforts.

13  
They got a case from one of Dean’s exes. Which explained why right after receiving her message Dean had insisted “no, no, we’ve got this go do your thing in Heaven”. Sam could tell that Dean still had some hard feelings from the break up so he restrained himself from commenting on the similarity of names, Cas and Cassie. 

Dean successfully kept Cas in Heaven and away from a meeting with Cassie for the first day. But when the racist ghost truck was chasing Dean and Sam’s only options were, tell Dean to drive past where the church used to be and hope it was still holy ground or pray to Castiel, angel of smiting wrath; well, Dean could live with the embarrassment. 

“He’s a hunter,” Sam introduced Cas and Cassie before Dean could. “He helps us hunt things.” Dean’s glare sent Sam back to the car while they talked. He couldn’t hear much of what they were saying but if he had to guess, Cassie thanked them for killing the ghost, told Dean it was good he had someone who could join him in his crazy life and said goodbye. After that goodbye Cas said something else to Dean. It sounded like he was apologizing for not meeting Dean earlier. He never wanted Dean to have heartache. Dean said something to dismiss that topic then joined Sam at the car.

15  
Sam, Dean, and Cas interviewed a boy who saw the last victim disappear. Cas kept mostly silent, as per the brothers’ instructions. It wasn’t until they left that he said, “You are personable with children, Dean.” 

The case looked pretty normal but Sam got jumped in the parking lot and woke up in a homemade cell in a barn. The other missing man was in an adjacent cage and running his mouth. Sam went about collecting what he could from the immediate area and hoped Dean would cut his guilty macho crap and let Cas fly Sam outa here, any minute now… 

The door to the outside creaked open, the civilian man started freaking out, thinking their captors were coming back. “Sammy?” Thankfully, it was Dean who pushed open the door.

“In here, and it’s Sam.” He stood up, as much as he could, at the door of the cell.

“You alright?” Dean, Cas at his heels, came into the barn.

“Yeah, just a bruise.” 

“Did you bring the cops?” the civilian wanted to know.

“In a minute,” Dean dismissed the other man. He looked at the buttons to open the cages but it required a key. “Cas, you mind?” Sam took half-a-step back as Cas took hold of the cell door. He ripped it off so quickly and cleanly that the metal didn’t have time to moan in protest and just came away in a snap.

“How’d he do that?” 

“Shitty craftsmanship. Sit tight, someone’ll be back for you,” Dean told the civilian and waved Sam and Cas back outside.

“Hey! Hey!” They shut the door on his protests.

It was still night outside so Sam wasn’t sure how long he’d been out. Even though he said he was fine, Cas touched his arm with the warm tingle that accompanied with angel healing.

“What’re we fighting?” Sam asked.

“Don’t know, it’s been weird.” Dean passed him a pistol and knife. “Right now we’re going in ready for anything.”

There was a rundown house near the barn. They had to survey it for barely a few minutes before they saw a couple of men in raincoats come out.  
“Son of a bitch. They’re just regular humans?” 

“Or something that looks like it.”

“I think they’re human.” 

“Well, they’re going into the barn with dinner trays, they’re our guys.”

“Should I smite them?”

“You can smite regular people?”

“Maybe we should call the cops. I mean, this is more their jurisdiction than ours, now.”

They might have continued this way for a while if an old hillbilly hadn’t interrupted. Apparently they weren’t as sneaky as they should have been because he had his shotgun out and ready.  
“First time a meal’s gotten ‘way. Dem boys must be getting’ sloppy.” 

“Pops!” As if on cue the two men that had left for the barn came running into view. “One of the…” They stopped shouting when the noticed that their old man had already cornered the escapee and friends.

“This some multi-generational freak show you got going on here?” Dean commented on the father-sons team. Even without the angel powerhouse in attendance, he and Sam had escaped worse situations than three mud covered men with rifles so he wasn’t particularly intimidated.

“Why are you kidnapping these people anyway? Just for sport?” Sam had to ask.

“Best game there is,” the old man answered.

“I don’t know about that. You jokers ever gank a werewolf?”

“You were raised with a false sense of morals but never questioned,” Cas contemplated the two younger men. “The reapers will have to discuss your placement.”

“Shadup, now drop yar guns, keep the knives though, don’t want this too easy even with three of ya.” The father instructed.

“No, I don’t think so,” Dean just kept his pistol pointed at the older man’s face.

“Two’s a good ‘nough hunt.” He pulled the trigger. Castiel was already standing in front of Dean so the buck shot went straight into his chest. Something about his angel powers kept the metal there rather than continuing through him into Dean. The blast barely made him flinch, although he did look down at the surprising amount of damage, he hadn’t taken a shotgun blast before and had been expecting a rifle shot. “The f…” Dean took this as permission to blow the man’s brains out. Sam in turn shot one of the brothers. The third got thrown into a tree and knocked out cold by angel telekinesis.

“Alright,” Sam reached for his cellphone only to remember that it had also been taken. “I’m calling the police now.”

“You sure?”

“They’ve been here for a while. The police probably have a whole bunch of missing persons,” Sam waved at the dead and injured killer family.

“Yeah, okay, we’ll drop them a tip this time, but we get on the road first.” 

16  
Having Cas around both saved their bacon and negatively impacted Sam’s sex life. The second Sam’s gal pall, Meg, showed up he went after her with his big knife. She wisely chose not to mess with him, adorkable most of the time, Cas could be scary when he wanted to. He could also make his grace glow bright enough to frighten off the Zorraster shadow monsters.

18  
Cas could apparently smite an Asriga when it wasn’t feeding but they still had to find the thing. Dean had a personal vendetta against this particular bastard. He didn’t want to get the civilian kid involved but they had to use him as bait. Cas smote the bastard outside the kid’s room without putting him in too much danger. Still, that boy was probably going to become a hunter when he was older. It was hard to live a normal life after meeting the things that go bump in the night.

The recent influx of children apparently gave Cas ideas. “Dean,”

“Hm?” He didn’t look up from his bottle.

“Dean, would you prefer adopted or biological children?” That had Dean sputtering on his beer.

“What?”

“Children.”

“What! No. Just, no!”

“Better wait a few years,” Sam stage whispered to the confused angel. 

20  
Out of nowhere they met up with Dad. Apparently the death of his old acquaintance was worth showing up for. They hugged it out and John explained why he had been avoiding them so far. He was hunting the demon that killed Mom and therefore had Meg and other demons on his tail.

When he asked how they had been, Sam purposefully started talking before Dean could. “Well, Castiel has been a big help.” Sam smirked as Dean gave him a death glare. 

“Something you want to tell me, Dean?” John had raised these boys, he could recognize their bulllshit.

“Sir,” Dean shot Sam one last angry look. “Cas is my soulmate. He’s joined us on a few hunts.”

“Yeah, like twenty,” Sam muttered.

“He human?” John asked after a beat. He knew about Dean’s nonsense letters.

“Uh, not exactly.” 

“He’s wearing one.” Sam was enjoying this.

“Shut up. He’s an angel.”

“Angel?” John repeated incredulously.

“Yes Sir, angel.” John wasn’t impressed. “I know it sounds stupid.”

“Not really,” the little brother added.

“Sam.”

“I mean after everything we’ve seen. Ghosts and demons. It would be weirder if angels didn’t exist.”

“You boys have been hunting with an angel?” John still wasn’t impressed. 

“Pray for him,” Sam suggested.

“‘Pray for him’?” said John.

“It’s how he hears us talk to him. It’s not really praying,” Dean defended his manliness. 

“You trusted something that wasn’t human,” their father dripped disapproval.

“Family first, right? Soulmates count.”

“God, Sam! Let me deal with this.” Dean snapped at his brother before turning back to John. “I didn’t trust him. But he proved himself. He’s saved our asses enough to deserve that much. At least talk to him.”

John brooded for a minute before reluctantly agreeing to trust his sons’ judgment.  
“Cas we pray that you come down and meet our dad if you are not busy smiting demons or…something.” With an audience Dean just felt stupid doing that. They had only a four second wait before the flap of wings joined them. The old hunter startled at the sudden appearance. “Uh, yeah,” Dean introduced them before his dad pulled out a knife. “Cas, this is our Dad. And Sir, this is Castiel, Angel of the Lord.” He used the title that Cas preferred. 

John frowned contemplatively at Cas for a second before extending his hand. “John Winchester.” Castiel looked the man up and down, considered something for a moment, then sucker punched the elder Winchester. John stumbled back from the unexpected right hook and both flabbergasted boys hurried to get between them. 

“What the hell, Cas!” Dean shoved at his soulmate while Sam muttered a more amused and less belligerent, “Oh shit.”

“Is that not the proper response for greeting a man that caused my mate pain and suffering?” Only Cas could ask those types of things with a straight face.

“Well…” Sam had half a mind to agree to that.

“No, it is not!” Dean didn’t. “He’s my father, how about some respect, huh?”

“Ah, my apologies.” Castiel nodded.

“Right…” Dean said suspiciously but let Cas re-approach John.

“John Winchester, you have my thanks and respect for your care and protection of Dean.” Cas shook his hand while staring unblinkingly at the old hunter, in that creepy way of his. “If you abuse him further, I will hit you.”

“Excuse me?” said John.

“Cas!”

“‘Shovel talk’” Castiel said with air quotes. Sam was trying very hard not to laugh. Dean somehow managed to roll his eyes and glare at Cas simultaneously.

“You implying I hurt my boys?” John demanded.

“1991. You struck Dean twice in the face for misplacing Samuel.”*

“You what?!” Sam hadn’t heard this before. 

“Alright, stop, everyone stop it!” Dean broke up the tension before it could escalate. 

Sam stepped back for the moment. John stopped shouting but got in a last complaint. “Aren’t you supposed to be peace-loving?”

“Read the Bible. Angels are soldiers. I battled demons centuries before you were born.” Sam bit his cheek too keep as John and the angel puffed up their metaphorical tail feathers and tried to out manly each other. 

“And now you want my permission to date my son?”

“I have his permission, why would I need yours?” Again, Cas was more confused than annoyed.

“It’s a human thing. Now are we going to hunt something or not?” Dean moved the conversation along.  
==

Sam didn’t forget the conversation, though, and frowned at Dean the second they were alone. “You want to say something?” Dean growled, he recognized the particular bitch-face.

“Why didn’t I hear about Dad hitting you?”

“God, Sam! It was one time!”

“Would you tell me if it wasn’t?”

“There’s nothing to tell!”

“Yeah, course not,” Sam huffed.  
==

“I found something, a gun, that can end this. Not just send it back to Hell, kill it.” Dad explained the gun he wanted to collect.

“Yes, it was considered for the arsenal of Heaven. Ultimately Virgil deemed it too human for his keep," Cas nodded along.

“You knew about this?” John glowered at Cas.

“How many demon killing weapons are there?” Sam asked.

“I don’t know. It depends on how many of my brothers and their blades remain. We loose more every day," Cas said this last part with a faraway look and a frown.

“Can you get us some of those?” Dean had almost forgotten about the angel swords.

“I have never tried preventing one from disappearing with its wielder. I don’t know if I could keep hold of it.”

“Then hand over yours,” John ordered.

“He needs it, Dude’s fighting his own war.” Dean stood up for his angel.

“You may use it.” Cas’ silver blade appeared from nowhere and he held the handle out to Dean. 

“And what will you do if a demon or another angel comes after you while I’ve got it?” Dean pointed out. Cas had no answer. “That’s what I thought.” Cas dutifully returned the angel blade to his sleeve. 

*Reference to the time Sam ran away for two weeks that was mentioned in season 5 Dark Side of the Moon.*

21  
Cas apparently didn’t hold grudges, despite the previous shovel talk, he didn’t act out any further animosity towards the old man. Dad was happy the gang was back together so he didn’t get drunk or surely, which was a good thing. As long as he was pleasant Cas was too. He even left the three of them alone and spent a day dealing with heaven business. 

While looking for the yellow eyed demon, Sam had a vision. This worried John which, as usual, made him shout and make unreasonable demands of Dean. Dean was old enough to tell him off and not be offended by his impossible standards. 

“Whether or not you intended to harm with words said in anger, as a child Dean could not recognize the difference and you damaged his self-esteem beyond repair.” Cas landed right next to where John sat. John glared up at him but knew he was right so didn’t say anything.

“Hey, Cas, lay off. And where the hell have you been?” Dean rounded on his angel.

“Demons were attempting to steal an artifact from the battlegrounds of my fallen brothers. Have you found the demon?”

“I’m seeing him, visions.”

“The demon blood,” Cas hurried over to him and stared at Sam’s chest. 

“What?”

“I had hoped the Fates could be contradicted. Under no circumstances must you consume more.”

“What the hell you trying to say?” John got up angrily.

“The demon Azazel feeds infant humans with his blood to corrupt them," Cas explained.

“I’m a demon?” asked Sam, shocked. 

“I did not say that.”

“Azazel, you know its name?” John demanded.

“I suspected but could not be certain until now.”

“Alright,” Dean stepped in while the rest of his family was stressed. “How do we fix Sam?”

“I don’t believe there is a cure. But the symptoms will remain mild unless he drinks more demon blood,” answered Castiel.

“I’m having visions, Cas,” Sam almost whined.

“One in every million humans is born psychic without demonic interference.” Cas apparently didn’t think this was anything to worry about.

“And this demon, the colt will kill it.” Dean double checked.

“I believe so.”

“And you can smite him,” Dean nodded.

“…” Cas paused. 

“Cas?”

“I’ve never battled a demon of his rank.”

“What rank might that be?” John grumbled, not pleased to be getting all this important info from an angel.

“He is the current tyrant of Hell.”

“The King of Hell? That’s what we’re hunting?” There was a minute of heavy silence after that realization.

==  
Despite everyone else telling him it was a bad idea, John insisted on separating and sending Castiel with the boys. Unsurprisingly, this plan immediately went sideways. 

Azazel, King of Hell, somehow, could teleport in ways that other demons could not. Also, by now the demons had figured out that Cas was on team Winchester so they had kidnapped a few extra humans in addition to their meat puppets and forced them to write enocian anti-angel wards. Cas couldn’t find John or fly anywhere near the demons’ hideout. 

The brothers did eventually find their father and carry him to safety. However, Cas freaked out the second he saw him.

“Dean!” He pulled his sword but was knocked back by demon telekinesis.* Both brothers quickly followed. John stood up and smirked at them with yellow eyes.

“Dean, Samuel, angel,” Azazel addressed the gathering. “Michael had promised me no interference, gave me his blessing to release Lucifer. I spent years readying this pathetic planet for him. But now…” He took hold of his own, John’s, chin.

“No!” Sam screamed as the demon twisted John’s head round backwards. 

“Not much use for the Winchester without the apocalypse. All I have to play for now is spite. And I have plenty of spite for you static creatures and you humans with your names.” Sam managed to grab the colt and point it at him. “I’ll see you soon Sam,” Azazel smocked out before Sam could waste him.

John soundlessly collapsed, his neck broken. Dean ran to him and shouted, “Cas! Cas! Heal him.” The slightly battered angel hurried over and knelt next to John’s corpse. He placed a hand on his face but no light appeared. “Cas?”

“I can’t,” Castiel looked defeated but that didn’t stop Dean from jumping down his throat. 

“What do you mean you can’t?!”

“I can mend is body but his soul is in Hell.”

“What?”

“He’s in hell?” Sam came over as well. 

“He must have made a deal with Azazel. I can’t reach him.”

“You’re an angel!”

“I have no jurisdiction in Hell! Azazel owns his soul now, I can’t retrieve it.” Dean sat back, stunned and numb. Cas reached for him but Dean pulled away and stood up to kick the wall. 

“You really can’t?” Sam double checked, just resigned rather than accusatory. 

“That would require a full envision of Hell and war with Azazel. With Michael’s opposition, we don’t have the resources. Azazel and Michael are working together, I’m not strong enough,” Cas wasn’t emotionless, he said this last part with grief. 

Dean cursed and stomped out of the room. Castiel forgot John’s body and hurried after Dean. Sam sat down next to his dead father to cry.

*I know angels are tough but Azazel is current king of hell and Cas is still a low tier solider at the moment. Plus he’s been wearing himself thin fighting a civil war, I’m going with it.


	3. Season 2 part1

2:1  
Understandably, Dad’s death hit Dean really hard. He was tail spinning between violence and drunken surliness. Sam wasn’t much better at times but at least he was talking about it, making attempts at coping. Dean’s preferred grief method was breaking things or killing things aka hunting. 

Thank God for Cas, Sam’s new ally in making Dean talk about feelings. Being an angel, he didn’t mind if Dean hit him and could help fix anything he smashed. Apparently, he also had a magic dick because after three hours in Bobby’s spare bedroom alone with Cas, Dean came out and apologized for being so temperamental.  
==  
Bobby loved having Cas around. A whole new well of information for the obsessive collector. Cas taught them Enocian angel wards, in case an attack from any of his brothers on the other side of the civil war. He found Bobby books on request from sunken ships and buried temples. 

Cas could also confirm Bobby’s suspicions that the demons were up to something big. Cas wasn’t high enough ranked angel to know everything that was going on between Heaven and Hell nor was he particularly in the loop with spending so much time on Earth. Still, he could guess that with the civil war upstairs, the demons were taking the opportunity to run amok. With extra demons running about, Bobby had everyone get tattooed with an anti-possession symbol.

2:2  
They met up with an old acquaintance of Dad’s at a rusty bar. The mom, daughter, and free-loafer team were pretty impressive in their own right. Jo was attractive, too. Dean would have said hi if he hadn’t been grieving. Jo picked up the slack, though, apparently interested in the one hunter that didn’t immediately flirt with her.

Sam picked out a case to investigate while Ash worked on finding them Azazel through computer searches. He called Cas to meet them in-route. It turned out to be a worth while decision for amusement value alone. Castiel neither understood the point of a carnival nor why everyone got insulted when Dean put his foot in his mouth multiple times. Then Sam got to play the, ‘We were kicked out of our house because my brother is gay’ card. That was fun solely for the epic bitch face it earned him from Dean. Dean might call him a bitch all the time but he could pull a face when he wanted to.

They ended up down one car so Cas flew them back to the roadhouse after they’d bagged the rakshasi. Sam stabbed it, Cas didn’t do all their work for them, but he did light up the room with his angel mojo so they could see its shadow. They landed just out of view of the windows. They needed to get to know these folks better before revealing the whole angel thing. No one questioned how they got back so quickly, they probably just assumed Cas had his own wheels and gave them a lift. 

“You boys did a hell of a job,” Ellen praised she set a beer down in front of all three men. “Your dad would be proud.”

“Thanks,” said Sam.

“Yes,” Castiel agreed. Ellen gave him a second look but accepted him as another hunter patron/friend of Sam and Dean. Cas had spent enough time with Dean to be comfortable sitting at a bar so he didn’t look overly awkward.

Jo came over and leaned against the bar next to Dean’s stool. She gave Sam a meaningful look.

“Oh,” Sam glanced among her, Dean and Cas. He didn’t want to encourage her but Dean’s dating habits were Cas’ (and Dean’s) responsibility. Also, if Cas was going to tell her off, he kinda wanted to see that. She raised an eyebrow and Sam decided not to irritate the shotgun wielding girl. He moved to a table without a word. Jo tried the same eyes on Cas. He understood that she was trying to communicate something but couldn’t puzzle out what exactly. He tilted his head and stared back at her with confusion. Dean sat completely oblivious between the two, nursing his beer and watching Sam move away.

“So,” Jo decided Castiel was clueless and started talking anyway.

“So?” Dean smiled at her. Cas turned his stare to him now.

“Am I going to see you again?” Jo asked.

“I thought your friend had agreed to help track Azazel,” Cas pointed out.

“Yeah, we’ll be back,” Dean answered.

“I might look forward to that,” Jo grinned. Cas frowned.

“Dean, Dean,” he touched his shoulder. Dean turned to see what he wanted only to have Cas grab the back of his head and pull him in to squash their lips together. Jo’s eyebrows shot up to her hairline at that. 

“Mmf, Cas, I wasn’t even flirting that time.” 

“She was, I could smell it.” 

“And what did I say about the smelling people?” Dean hissed under his breath.

“So, ‘wrong place wrong time’ or just wrong gender?” Jo sounded more amused than upset.

“I’m not gay it’s just…”

“We’re mates.” Cas interrupted. He kept his arm draped over Dean’s shoulder to ward off the female pheromones. Jo held up her hands in a pacifying, slightly mocking, gesture. 

“Aw, Jo, tr’ing to trade up again?” Ash came in from the back room for the last part. “Not that I blame ya.”

“Don’t worry, couch is still yours,” Jo flashed him a smile.

“Where you been?” the mullet man addressed Sam and Dean this time.

“Wait, hold on,” Dean glanced between Jo and Ash.

“We were on a job,” Sam answered, so unconcerned with the whole situation.

“You and him?” Dean pointed with his beer.

“Did comment on you and Trenchcoat?” Jo raised an eyebrow.

“Technically it’s an overcoat.” Cas offered. 

“But really?” Dean didn’t let it go.

“He’s my mate, we keep him in the back, he’s like a puppy, go play nice,” Jo waved them off.

2:6

On a ghost hunt minus Cas but plus Jo, whom didn’t have mommy’s permission to be out in the field. They had just figured out that their target was the ghost of an infamous serial killer whose body was buried in concrete and who had liked to hide victims in the walls of his house when alive.

“We need crowbars sludge hammers, we’ve got to smash these walls any where that’s thick enough to hide a girl.” Dean and Jo jumped up to begin the search.

“You know what we should really do? Call Cas,” Sam said.

“I thought we agreed, not now.” Dean gave a pointed look in Jo’s direction.

“Dean, we can’t get to the body.”

“We can still trap the bastard with salt.”

“We could do that or…” Sam said with emphasis.

“You two have some sort of secret?” Jo asked.

“We need to find this girl, if you won’t call him, I will.”

“Alright, fine,” Dean surrendered. “Call him, you two take the first floor up, we’ll start top down.” He ordered before hurrying out of the room with flashlight in hand. Typical Dean, keeping watch on Jo himself and having Cas’ muscle protect Sam. Didn’t even do it on purpose anymore, just protecting everyone he cared about.

Sam prayed for Cas to meet him on the ground floor. The angel showed up almost instantly.

“Where’s Dean?” he asked. His tone was more conversational than accusatory so Sam didn’t feel offended.

“On the roof with Jo.” He ducked around a corner and caught a glimpse of Cas’ frown. “They’re not flirting.”

“I have faith,” Cas defended himself.

Ironically several floors above them, Jo was rubbing her ass against Dean’s front while she shuffled past him into narrow opening.

“Should’ve gone with Cas.”

“What?”

“Shouldn’t Cas be downstairs.”

“Shut up.” 

Of course Jo got nabbed by the ghost, that’s just how their luck went.  
“You can find her right?” Cas nodded then vanished. “Damnit,” Dean kept kicking himself while they waited. That’s when his phone rang.  
“Hello?”

“You lied to me!” Ellen was pissed.

“About what?”

“Ash told me everything, he may be a genius but he folds like a cheap suit. Now put my damn daughter on the line.”

“She’s going to have to call you back, she’s uh taking care of feminine business.” Sam had to hold in an eye roll, yeah, he knew nothing about women.

“Yeah right, where is she?”

“She’s underground,” Cas popped back into the hallway.

“Underground?” Dean repeated without thinking.

“What!” 

“Uh, look I’m really sorry but I’m going to have to call you back.”

“Hey! Hey! Winchester!” Dean hung up on the shouting.

“It must be the sewers,” Sam thought out loud. “Can you fly us down there.”

“No offense but I’d rather find an entrance,” Dean said before Cas could answer. Even as they left the building Sam couldn’t help but notice Cas’ put out expression.

“I think you offended him.”

“Sam, do you not poop for a week after I carry you?”

“No, I’m fine. But I’m not scared of airplanes either.”

“Shut up.”

They quickly found a manhole and climbed down into the sewer/drainage tunnel.  
“Next time, huff,” Sam grunted as he crawled through the two foot by two foot passage. The little view he had from his flashlight was of his brother’s ass as he army crawled ahead of him. “I vote we let Cas fly us in.”

“Stop whining.”

“Dean.” Came from the front of the pack. Dean had shoved the angel into the tunnel first just to make sure he stayed with the group. And he could light their way with his grace.

“What?!”

“My coat’s dirty.” Sam laughed into his folded arms.

“Surrounded by chicks,” Dean grouched.

Sounds of movement and life came from up ahead. Fussy over his coat or not, Cas didn’t dick around when it came to saving people so he quickly army crawled the rest of the way and shoved off the grill with one hand. The ghost looked up at the sudden appearance but wasn’t intimidated. His mistake as Cas jumped, not particularly gracefully, down and grabbed his face. Dean shielded his eyes briefly as Cas incinerated the ghost then he hurried over to Jo’s cell.

“You alright?” He peered in at the girl. Sam climbed out of the hole and went to the other doors, looking for more survivors. 

“No! What the hell was that?” Jo hollered from her prison.

“I smote him,” Cas didn’t see the problem. Dean used a nearby rebar to pry open the door keeping Jo in. 

“Cas.” Sam located the other missing girl and gestured for angel assistance. Castiel didn’t hesitate to pull the grate open on his command. 

“I mean it, what the hell is that? A witch?” Jo pointed rudely at Cas.

“Now she knows so fly us out?” Sam took the opportunity to not have to carry a civilian back out that tiny drainage pipe. Cas must have agreed with the sentiment because he didn’t confer with Dean before zapping Sam and the former prisoner back to the surface.

“The f…” Jo started but startled into silence when Cas reappeared next to her. He grabbed her and Dean and flew them back to the surface as well. Intelligent girl that she was, Jo jerked away and swung her knife in his general direction.

“Whoa, there,” Dean held up his hands.

“It’s not human!”

“Yeah, Dean used to think that was bad too,” Sam spoke up. “Cas, help me out here,” he nodded to the semi-conscious girl he was still holding. The angel went over to Sam, leaving Dean to deal with Jo.

“What the hell…”

“Angel,” Dean interrupted.

“What? Did you just call me…”

“No! Him. He’s an angel.”

“Right…” Jo seemed to consider this for a second. “Just in a pet name or,” she pointed up at the sky.

“Yeah, wings and everything.”

“Really wings?” Jo sounded more amused than afraid.

That’s when Dean’s phone rang. “Damnit, I bet that’s your mom.”

“Son of a bitch, Ash,” Jo growled. 

“WINCHESTER!” Dean winced and held the phone away from his ear.

“She’s fine, she’s fine. Here talk to your mom.”

2:7 1 yr since episode 1 seson 1 by the way  
They got arrested for credit fraud and suspicion of murder in Baltimore. Just a routine case looking into an invisible murderer when the widow also got ganked, Dean found her body so he was at the scene when police entered. 

Good thing Cas smote the shapechanger that barrowed Dean’s face before the police could see it back in St. Lewis otherwise they’d be in a lot more trouble than they were. Cas stayed with Dean at the police station while Sam escaped. This turned out to be hysterical, as Cas annoyed all the police with his cluelessness almost as much as Dean did with his wise-ass routine, and useful when the one cop pulled a gun. Cas didn’t end up using any of his angel powers but got to sit between Dean and the gun. He would have smote the dirty cop if Sam and the other officer hadn’t shown up. The lady cop now believed in ghosts and got the charges against them dismissed.

2:11  
“Why would anyone come here? I’m amazed they stayed in business this long.” Dean wrinkled his nose at the quaint decorations of the cursed hotel. The things he put up with for the job.

“I prefer it to your usual choices,” Cas was sitting in one of the old chairs and playing with the carved armrest.

“We could have saved on the second room, you’re not getting any. Freaking me out,” Dean glowered at the dress hung on the wall as a decoration. 

“The receptionist already thinks we might be all together, if you want to encourage her,” Sam said, mostly just to annoy his whining brother.  
==  
Angels didn’t sense huuduu or witchcraft so Cas wasn’t much help. People dying at the hotel had Sam upset and getting drunk. 

“The more people I save the more I can change…” Sam started babbling drunkenly.

“Change what?” Dean asked while pulling his big little brother towards the bed.

“My destiny!”

“That is what I’m here to fight,” Cas answered.

“If I ever go bad. If this turns me into something I’m not…”

“Oh no, don’t go there.”

“I want you to kill me.”

“I had planned to if necessary.”

“Cas?!”

“I have no desire to but I will defend Dean.” Dean gave his boyfriend the stink eye. “We would bring him back later.”

The huuduu they found was revealed to be keeping a ghost out not in. Now with Granny sick the angry spirit was back and eager to drown the hotel owner’s daughter. The mom ran to the pool doors only to find them sealed shut. Dean gave them a shove but that was definitely ghost mojo.  
“Cas!” He pulled Sam out of the way as swirling trechcoat of angel badassery stepped up to the plate. One heaven charged palm of doom and the doors buckled. But angel or no angel Grandma’s guilt had her sacrificing herself to stay with her lonely sister’s spirit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *I’m not shipping Jo/Ash, I was going for a two-lonely-weirdoes-bromance, but if that floats your boat, go ahead and read it as romantic.


	4. Gabriel Finally arrives Season 2 part2

2:12  
Cas said they had to investigate a woman who claimed that an angel told her to kill someone. If it wasn’t an angel then it was a case. And if it was an angel then it wasn’t one on Cas’ side of the civil war and they should investigate why it was killing people. 

Dean was more interested in the vibrating bed the hooker hotel supplied, made Cas lay on it with him. The angel didn’t get it. Sam would have gotten his own room if there were any vacancies. 

The case gave Sam a chance to talk to Cas about his shaken faith. He wanted to believe in angels and God but now hearing about Castiel and angels fighting… What exactly was left to believe in?

Talking with Castiel was actually surprisingly reassuring. The angel’s faith was shaken just like Sam’s was. God had left the angels without guidance, Castiel had followed Michael out of loyalty. He believed in his big brother until he learned of Michael’s true nature. Gabriel, another of the archangels reappeared in Heaven for the first time since Lucifer’s banishment and told the entire host of Michael’s plot. Michael planned to kill all of humanity and welcome them into heaven. He billed it as salvation but Castiel and several other angels recognized his plans as genocide. That was how their civil war began. 

Castiel fought under Gabriel’s leadership now but didn’t entirely trust him or his motives. He had after all, stayed neutral when Lucifer rebelled, abandoned Heaven to Michael’s rule, and not done anything to help his siblings or humanity until just recently. Gabriel was Cas’ general but not his friend. The few friends he did have among his siblings, Balthazar and Rachel, they were in Heaven fighting, putting their lives on the line every day.

So yeah, he got it. The brothers had a lot of crap going on right now but his life wasn’t perfect either.

The case turned out to be a ghost masquerading as an angel. They didn’t have to smite the well-meaning spirit at least. He moved on willingly after receiving last rites.

2:15  
The case sounded like a routine haunting but Sam kept getting weird vibes since arriving on campus. Everything they heard from students was vague. They had hunted ghosts on less before but this time it sounded more like a college rumor than a legitimate ghost. It was a bit too early to draw conclusions, though. They needed to at least check out the building first. 

There was something inherently sexy about the janitor. He had an expressive face and a casual ease that said he took life’s punches with a grin. Sam usually didn’t go for men but when he did he preferred a guy with a nice smile to an athlete. 

The hunt had become annoying and Dean had stolen his laptop. Spending a night with a stranger was an easy choice. Sam barked “Don’t wait up,” over his shoulder and left Dean to sulk in the hotel room. Hopefully Cas would finish his business in heaven, come down and bang (sexually or otherwise) some sense into Dean before the morning. Once outside, Sam retrieved his cell phone and the crumpled note from his pockets. “For a good time 555-…” Sam dialed the number.

“Hel’lo,” the janitor sing-songed after the second ring.

“Hey, offer from this morning still good?”

“Always. Finally get some free time?”

“Yeah, where…”

“I live nearby, it’s an easy walk from campus.” He gave Sam an address that was only two streets away from the motel. Five minutes later Sam knocked on the front door. “Hiya, Handsome.” He opened the door right away, wearing a white tanktop.

“Nice place,” Sam glanced around. Pretty good on a janitor’s salary, he must have a second job or second income, as long as he wasn’t married but there didn’t appear to be a “woman’s touch’ in the apartment.

“Want to meet the roomie?” The janitor asked then bent down to scoop up a small terrier. Sam smiled and petted the animal. “Gabe, by the way. And this is Fenrir.”

“Sam,” he smiled a bit more. Dean might be into, used to be into, an impersonal booty call but even with a one night deal, Sam preferred at least a basic introduction. Gabe apparently agreed because he gave Sam a sultry little smirk before setting his pet down on the couch.  
==  
The case started with a guy falling from a window and ended with a frat bully abducted by aliens, a research scientist’s hand bitten off by what he swore was an alligator in the sewer, and Bobby showing up to stop the brothers from killing each other. Also, go figure the janitor was their trickster. First Meg and now Gabe, could Sam flirt with anyone anymore?  
==  
Dean confronted the trickster janitor in the building’s auditorium where the demi-god had set up a mini porno set for Dean’s benefit. Complete with two actresses.

“We’ve been waiting for you Dean,” said one of the two sultry women in lingerie.

“Ha, you’re not real.” 

“Trust me sugar, it’s going to feel real.” The fake women weren’t discouraged from posing on the elevated bed.

“Yeah, well,” Dean tried not to get a boner. “I’m a one man guy these days, and even if I wasn’t…hah, I’m going to have to pass.”

“They’re a peace offering.” The trickster spoke up from an audience seat. “I know what you and your brother do. I’ve been around a while, run into your kind before.”

“Well then you know that I can’t let you keep hurting people.” Dean turned his back to the fake women.

“Oh come on!” The trickster groaned dramatically. “Those people had it coming. And for the record, that jackass took a header out the window of his own volition.” The trickster pulled a candy bar out of his pocket. “I just like to give a good scare, unless otherwise necessary. I mean, what’s the point in punishing someone unless they get the chance to learn from it? But you and Sam I like you, I do. So treat yourself as long as you want. Just long enough for me to move onto the next town.”

“Yeah, I don’t think I can let you do that,” Dean shook his head. Wasn’t often he could have a civil conversation with the monster they had come to gank.

“I don’t want to hurt you, but you know that I can.”

“Look, I got to tell you, I dig you style,” Dean stopped himself from glancing back at the boobies, “I mean the slow dancing alien.”

“Hah! One of my personal favorites.”

“But I can’t let you go.”

“Ahh, shame, like I said, I like you. But Sam was right you shouldn’t have come alone,” The small man’s voice turned from friendly to menacing.

“Yeah, well, I agree with you there,” said Dean.

On cue, Sam and Bobby came in through the side doors.  
“So that fight outside, that was a trick?” The trickster glanced back and forth. “Not bad,” He nodded but then waved a hand, “Want to see a real trick?” The sound of a chainsaw alerted Sam to the horror movie killer that the trickster had just created behind him and ducked. The porn starts could apparently also fight because they started beating the crap out of Dean.

They were used to this kind of fighting so it didn’t take long for Bobby to toss Dean a sharpened stake and for Dean to stab the trickster. 

 

Post 2:16  
A year and five months after Jess’ death and Sam had a new name. He hadn’t really looked at his wrist in months but the clean dark marks caught his attention in the shower. He hurriedly turned off the water before examining it. Jess’ name was gone, replaced with symbols he didn’t recognize. It looked most similar to Enocian but he only knew the basic wards for the language, and Castiel’s name, so he couldn’t be sure.  
He hesitated showing it to Dean but they had never hid their names from each other. Hiding his now just felt like a bit like betrayal, Dean had shown him his weird Enocian name, let Sam talk about soulmates even though it was a sore topic for him. Pretending Jess was still on his wrist would make him a hypocrite wouldn’t it? After all those times he’d ridiculed Dean for ignoring his mark. Mind made up, Sam dressed. 

They’d gotten two rooms but kept their research material in Sam’s. The one time they didn’t, Cas unwittingly turned on the TV to a Doctor Sexy marathon and Sam ended up locked out of Dean’s room and separated from his laptop for most of the day. 

“Dean you got a minute?”

“Yeah?” Dean was nursing a beer and half-heartedly packing for their departure tomorrow. They actually hadn’t hurt anyone, set anything on fire, or cause any noticeable mayhem on this job so they weren’t in a hurry to leave.

Sam wasn’t entirely sure what to say. But something in his face clued Dean into the seriousness of the conversation.  
“I just…” Sam gave up and showed him his arm. “Here.” Dean squinted.

“You’re like me now?”

“I don’t know, what do you think it is?” The flutter of wings came from behind him, damn Cas’ timing. Sam turned but Cas was already leaning over his shoulder, head tilted to stare at his exposed wrist. Sam wanted to take it back, especially when Cas' expression showed recognition.

“Well? You recognize it?” Dean prompted.

“Gabriel,” Cas said with awe. Less than a second after he spoke the name, they were interrupted. 

“Hel-lo.” They all turned around. A familiar, short, honey eyed and haired man sat reclined on Sam’s bed. 

“What the hell?” Dean shouted.

“Aren’t you the trickster?” Sam asked. Hadn’t they killed this guy two weeks ago?

“Naw, that act was just to train you boys. You needed the practice fighting off angel-mind-affecting-abilities.” The short man shrugged. 

“Brother, your mate is Samuel?” Castiel continued to sound amazed by the whole thing.

“Yep.” He flashed his exposed wrist. They were too far away to see it clearly but it looked like Sam’s handwriting. 

“Wait, Gabriel, the arch angel?” Sam double checked.

“That’s me.”

“Really?” Dean wasn’t impressed.

“Brother, you never told me, or any of us.” Cas sounded agitated, understandable considering he and his siblings were laying down their lives to follow Gabriel’s civil war.

“Chamuel knows,” Gabriel muttered. This made Cas frown. “I couldn’t tell you. You were coming down here and had your own human to worry ‘bout.” He jabbed a finger in Dean’s direction. “Sides they’ve got enough stress dealing with you, Azazel and demon blood, and Dad’s twice-damned prophecies. Didn’t need me hovering right away.”

“H-Hold on.” Sam held up a hand for silence. “Start at the beginning, okay.” Gabriel had the empathy to send Sam an apologetic face before starting.

“I’d been hanging out on Earth for a while. With Mikey and Lucy throwing their bitch-fits I needed some space. Bummed around Norway for a while. Anyway, twenty-three years ago, I got a name all of a sudden so I decided to head back upstairs see what I’d missed,” Gabriel begins what sounds like it will be a long explanation. “Find out it’s a real mess up there with Dad gone. Michel and company were making plans to start the apocalypse. I told Mikey I don’t care if you’re bored, we can’t end the humans just ‘cause you’re pissed at Lucy. That’s when I find Cas, here. Got a name four years ago but hadn’t reported it all the way up the chain of command. So, I go public with Michel’s apocalypse scheme, get together Castiel, Anna, Rachel, Balthazar, Ezekiel and anyone else that had misgivings about Dad’s playbook. Formed my own little disobedience squad.  
“Raphael and most of the other big hitters still side with Michel but I’ve got over half the sylphs. And Chamuel’s entire name assignment department and all his cupids are my biggest fans.* Name given to me by Dad himself and all that.

“As for Castiel, he’s my star pupil. Bit of time planet side and free will is busting out of his little head. Mostly thanks to you, Deano.” Gabriel wore what was obviously a lewd I-know-you-love-my-baby-bro-smirk. “Balthazar’s taken to calling you ‘corruptor of angels’. Bal had been trying to get him laid for years, apparently,” he added as explanation. Dean didn’t know if he should glare at Gabriel or Cas, who was suddenly sheepish. “FYI Castiel, everyone still thinks you’re down here playing bodyguard but they’re starting to get suspicious. When Michael finds out he is going to come after you, like a jaded lover.” At the Winchester brother’s confused looks, he continued. “Michael’s been waiting centuries to ride the ass of The Righteous Man. Won’t be happy a ‘lower angel’ beat him to it.”

“What?” Dean was both insulted and lost.

“How much do you know about The Apocalypse?” Gabe asked.

“The Apocalypse,” repeated Sam, kinda stupidly.

“Yeah, ‘The Apocalypse’ Michel vs Lucifer, prize fight, end of days, the whole shebang. Two brothers take mortal vessels, you and you.” Point between the brothers. “And duke it out on Earth’s soil, splitting the sky, rivers of blood, ringing any bells?” He made sure that their faces were adequately horrified. “Good news is there’s sixty some seals keeping Lucy locked up, the most important of which involve you two. So, we just keep you out of hell,” point to Dean, “and you from fighting Lilith,” point to Sam, “then Lucy stays downstairs, I don’t have to watch my brothers kill each other, the humans get to keep living. All’s well.”

There was a moment of silence. But Dean couldn’t hold back his sarcasm for long. “Sounds simple when you say it that way.”

“That’s why I sent Cassie down here as soon as The Fates would allow it. To keep your hide alive. That and Castiel was a right mess watching you grow up and not able to do anything. Balthazar and Anna had to sit on him a couple times when he was rearing to flutter down here and smite whatever beastie was trying to kill you and/or punch your dad. You get to do that eventually?”

“About that!” Dean rounded on Gabe. “You were watching us this whole time but you couldn’t have saved Dad?”

“Or Jess?”

Gabriel winced. “Eh, yeah, the old man was a bit of an oversight on my part. Sorry ‘bout that. As for your first mate, Samo, we tried but Azazel is a tough bastard, you know that. The silver lining is that she’s in Heaven and your dad made a deal with Azazel to get your mom out of hell so she’s there too. You’re dad’s not but we can probably fix that, eventually.”

“Sorry? Oh, he’s sorry.” Dean waved dismissively at Gabe while looking to his brother and angel. “That makes it all better.”

“Dean,” Cas touched his arm but Dean shrugged off his hand.

“Hey, I’ve kept Michael’s forces off your back this long. Haven’t I? I don’t think you appreciate that we’re fighting all of Heaven and Hell.”

“Appreciate? We’ve been busting our asses!”

“And Castiel, hasn’t? He’s been pulling triple duty keeping you happy and fighting two wars.”

“Brother…” Cas tried to interfere on the other side of the argument this time.

“Just making sure he treats you right.” Gabriel waved off his brother’s concern.

“Wait, so when you were the trickster, those babes, that was a test?” Dean puzzled this out.

“One you passed, congratulations.”

“Alright, lepercon, I’ve had it up to here,” Dean started a threat. Cas put a hand out to hold him back.

Gabriel snorted, “You might want to hold that thought, just in case Sam asks for a repeat performance.” Bringing that up made Sam embarrassed and Dean scowl. He’d teased Sam for banging the trickster previously but hadn’t expected the guy to return especially as an angel/brother-in-law/soulmate.

“Don’t look so glum, I bring gifts,” Gabe bounded to his feet from the bed then reached into his jacket. “Cas put in a work order so here you go.” He pulled out two celestial blades. “Generously donated by two of Micheal’s late soldiers. One good stab will kill just ‘bout anything except, me, Michael, or Lucifer.* Keep ‘em, use ‘em, don’t loose ‘em.” He flipped the weapons over in his hands to hold the blades, offering the handles out to each human. The brothers reached out and cautiously took the new weapons. Dean spun it in his palm, getting used to the weight. This caused a lull in the conversation that Sam felt compelled to fill.

“So…we’re supposed to be vessels?” Right now talking about the apocalypse was preferable to the family drama, and more important. Castiel ‘Poker Face’ glanced guiltily to the side, meaning he probably knew about this.

“Yeah, destined mixing of the Campbell and Winchester bloodlines,” Gabriel shrugged. “Michael…”  
“Hold on!” Dean interrupted, “our dad wasn’t a hunter.”

“Would have been if your granddad hadn’t kicked the bucket and had been around to train him up,” Gabriel kept talking as if this was common knowledge. “We’ve got Michael, the big brother, Dad’s loyal solider,” point to Dean. “And Lucifer, the rebellious little brother. And hunters, angels, we were both trained by our dads to kill things for fun, see it yet?”

“I guess.”

“Can we even trust this asshole?”

“Dean.”

Gabriel let them ponder this for a moment then nodded to Cas. “Castiel, give us a minute?” The trenchant wearing angel nodded then disappeared with Dean. “Hey,” Gabe grinned sheepishly at Sam.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *If humans had soulmates I assume there would be an ach angel assigned with giving them out  
> *In the show, Gabriel says “without me you have zero chance of beating Lucifer” that implies to me that you require the blade of an archangel to kill another archangel. Also the way Kali talks seems to imply something similar.


	5. The Chapter That Took Forever

“Really, we’re going to talk about this now?” Sam gave the angel the fiercest glare he could muster.

“You rather wait?” Gabriel frowned.

“How do I know you aren’t lying to just get in my pants? That you were just waiting around for Jess to die.”

“You think I’d do that?”

“You’ve done it before. The whole trickster and the janitor.”

“Alright, listen up, Samsquatch!” Gabriel stood at his full height which was considerably shorter than Sam but somehow still managed to be intimidating. “I really am the trickster, almost more than I’m an angel. I ditched Heaven millennia ago and spent most of that time being called Loki. Yeah, I’m a Norse God. And I had totally worked that janitor gig for months, there’s something therapeutic about manual labor. And if you’re still hung up on that perv professor dying, I didn’t push him, he jumped, from four stories, who dies from four stories? Unluckiest bastard ever.  
“As for your Jessica. Yeah, I won’t lie. It hurt my feelings that I wasn’t your first mate. But hey, I’m fighting a war. I could bite it any day now. If you got a shot at a happy normal gal, I sure as hell wasn’t going to ruin it. I started a war, for you! And the rest of humanity but mostly you. Against my brother, who may be a self-righteous asshole but I still love him.”

“I don’t owe you anything,” Sam retorted but quieter. This also sobered Gabriel.

“You got a raw deal, Samuel,” the archangel shrugged in a very human way. “My family screwed your life over before you were even born. You’ve got every right to be pissed at me.”

“No,” Sam sighed heavily and sat down. “You’re just trying to help.”

“I wouldn’t be if you weren’t my gracemate,” Gabe shrugged again. “I’m selfish and lazy, guess I get that from my old man. Spent millennia shirking my duties.”

“You didn’t want to get involved with your family’s bull, I get that.” Sam leaned back to stare at the ceiling in resignation.

“You had aspirations, I just ran away, don’t compare us,” Gabe sat down on the bed again.

“No, I was running too,” Sam admitted. Gabe just grunted in response. After a minute of silence, Sam looked back at the angel. “Why are you here?”

“You deserved to know. Sides, I gotta look after Castiel.” He pulled a chocolate bar out of one pocket. “Never thought Michel would abuse the little ones like he did. Well maybe I should have known, considering how he always talked down to the sylphs.” Maybe it was seeing him act like a concerned big brother, but most of Sam’s anger evaporated then.

“Tell me about Heaven?”

Sam wasn’t entirely sure how friendly conversation transitioned to them in bed together but he couldn’t find it in him to complain. Not even when he woke up to sun in his eyes and Dean’s voice.   
“Hey there!”

“Out!” Gabe shouted from next to Sam and the front door of the motel room slammed closed again. “Shoulda flown off to Paris.”

“It’s fine,” Sam rolled over to look at the grumbling angel. Gabriel smiled back. With a huff, Sam sat up and moved to get dressed. “We’re not done talking bout this,” he added.

“Yeah, yeah,” the angel said but not sarcastically. “Not that I mind the interludes.” Sam rolled his eyes good naturally because he knew Gabe agreed that they still had things to work out. “Anyway, I think Castiel has breakfast.” He climbed out of bed wearing a tailored version of what Sam had on yesterday and smirked when Sam noticed.

“Really?” Dean sat on one of the outdoor park tables out side with motel with Cas and a couple bags of take out.

“Shut up,” Sam retorted immediately. Cas set a slice of pie down in front of Dean which distracted him. However, when Sam and Gabe walked over to the table he still managed to laugh around his fork.

“What?” Sam asked, irritated.

“Yeah, it’s just,” Dean kept smirking at them and held up a hand to indicate a short person.

“Hey! Two thousand years ago I was considered tall.”

“Not in Rome, the Romans were large men,” Cas added.

“Because they had cheese. In Norway, I was plenty tall.”

“I kinda like it,” Sam rested his chin on Gabe’s head. Gabe must have pulled a face at the display because Dean snorted again.

“You sure you’re an archangel, you look like one of those angry little dogs old ladies have.”

“Oh, you want to go, Deano? Want to go slow dancing with aliens, tap dancing with chickens? Vikings were afraid of me, Vikings! You don’t even want to know…” This could have continued but Sam sat down and pulled him onto his lap, which quieted the grumbling. And yeah, it was pretty awesome that the celestial powerhouse could fit in his lap. When he held Gabriel he could almost feel the energy pulsing beneath the human skin. If he wrapped his arms around him, it made Sam feel like he was surrounding a glowing ball of light that kept him warm.

“Ugh, you’re so gross,” Dean whined from his side of the table.

“I’m gross? How do you think I’ve felt traveling with you and Cas? Every time I get in the car I have to try and not think about what you’ve done in there.”

“I cleaned,” Cas said.

“It’s my car,” Dean shrugged and muttered into his breakfast.

“Hey,” Gabe leaned back to look up at Sam. “That’s an idea.” He whispered so Dean wouldn’t hear.

“No.”

“Be pretty funny.”

“Nope.”

2:17  
Same entered the hotel room they had rented in yet another town. Dean sat alone on the bed cleaning his guns.  
“Cas leave?”

“Yeah, Heaven business,” Dean sounded as unenthused as Sam felt. Hard to know where one stood in a new relationship with the angels always busy in another plane of existence. “You got something?” 

“Yeah, dead lawyer, looks like an animal attack, no heart.”

“This lawyer the first heart free corpse in town?”

“First man. Last year several women have gone missing. All washed up later in the bay, too destroyed to draw further conclusions.”

“But no hearts?”

“No hearts.” Sam shook his head and opened his beer. “Now cops are trying to keep things under wraps but they’re looking for a serial killer.”

“And the lunar cycle.”

“Mmhmm. Month after month all the murders happen in the week leading up to the full moon.”

“Which is this week, right?”

“Hence the lawyer.” 

“Awesome.”

“Dean, could you be a bigger geek about this?”

“Sorry man but what about man by day, freak animal killing machine by moonlight don’t you understand? Werewolves are badass. We haven’t seen one since we were kids.”

“Alright, Sparky, and after we take it down we can grab the angels and go to Disney land,” getting laid had put Sam in a good enough mood to tease Dean for his enthusiasm.

“Best part is we already know how to kill these things.” Dean pulled out one of the specialty silver bullets from his bag. “After all the angels and demons crap all we need is one of these straight to the heart.” Sam shrugged in agreement on that. “So what’s the next step?”

“Talk to the girl who found the body.”

Dead lawyer’s assistant had both found the body and her ex boyfriend hated the guy. Genuine police work there.

“Alright, you go I’ll stay,” Sam said.

“Forget that, you go after the creepy ex I’ll hang here with the hot chick.”

“I’ll tell Cas.”

“I’ll tell the lepercon.”

“Gabe,” Sam said smugly and took Dean’s mug, “won’t care.” 

“Damn you’re right.”

“Bundle up out there.” Sam slapped Dean’s shoulder encouragingly.

“How’d I end up with the jealous one, huh?” Dean grumbled as he left.  
Madison settled down to watch her soap opera. Sam wasn’t excited at first but halfway in he was hooked.  
“Now I get why Gabe likes these,” Sam laughed after the episode ended.

“Who’s Gabe?” Madison asked.

“My mate.”

“Happy to help, then,” she smiled but also looked a little sad. “My name faded when I was thirteen.”

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.”

“It hasn’t been all bad. I’ve been able to make my own choices. They weren’t always good ones, but…” she shook her head about her ex boyfriend. They didn’t get to talk much more before Sam’s cell rang.

“Found him,” Dean said from the phone.

“Good don’t take your eyes off him.”

“Uh, yeah, don’t worry.”

“What’s that music?” Sam could hear something in the background of the call.

“Nothing.”

“You’re at a bar aren’t you?”

“Uh close. I’m going to have to call you back, don’t want miss anything.”

“Uh huh?” Sam smirked. That was Dean’s ‘I’m looking at boobies’ voice.

“It’s police work, call Cas and you’re dead.”

“What?” Madison asked about Sam’s grin.

“Nothing, it’s just, he’s so lucky his boyfriend’s on another assignment.”

“He’s a cop too?”

“Yeah, they’re perfect for eachother really, Cas is just a little insecure sometimes.”

Because life sucked like that, Madison turned out to be a werewolf too. Not the one hunting prostitutes but she did kill her boss and ex without remembering doing it. That raised the question of what to do with her. She’d killed two men but was she a murderer? Could she be cured? Was she innocent? Sam reminded Dean that Dad’s book mentioned a probable cure for werewolves. Dean said if Sam was going to stay behind and babysit a crazy wolf lady then he should have some angle back up and called for Cas before Sam could argue.

“Castiel’s busy, what you need?” Gabe flew into the room instead.

“Sam wants to cure a werewolf,” Dean tattled immediately.

“They killed anyone?” was Gabe’s response.

“Yeah.”

“Ate their heart?”

“Yeah.”

“Can’t cure that,” the arch angel shook his head. “Most monster bites can be cured if the victim wants to but the second you accept your monster side you aren’t human any more.”

“But she didn’t know what she was doing.”

“She knew on some level. Otherwise she might have mauled someone but she wouldn’t have eaten the heart. Can’t cure the unwilling.” At Sam’s frown he held up his hands defensively. “Not besmirching her character, it takes real balls to withstand a monster’s hunger, most people can’t do it.”

“So she has to die then,” Sam sighed.

“Hey, I didn’t say that,” Gabriel interrupted. “She’d need to be locked up couple days a month and practice controlling her wolf side but there’ve been plenty of monsters allied with hunters over the years.” 

“She’d have to live with hunters? Who would take in a werewolf?”

“The Campbells come to mind. Your cousins on your mother’s side,” Gabe elaborated. “They’ve got a little cult community.”

“Wait, how do we have family we’ve never heard of?” Dean focused on the important part.

“You mom left them after her parents died and your old man was too lone wolf, I guess,” the angel shrugged.

“We should tell Madison, all this,” Sam returned to the previous topic. “She deserves to know.”

They sat down with Madison, still bound to her chair, and tried to let her down easy that she would never be human again.

“Wouldn’t…” she spoke after a minute. “Maybe you should just kill me.”

“Just so you know, you’re not going to heaven,” Gabe felt this necessary to point out. “You’re a werewolf. You’re going to Purgatory. Which I’ve never been to myself but I hear it’s not all bad.”

“There’s a purgatory now?” Dean grumbled.

“Yep, monsters eat humans so they can’t go to heaven but they are also required to eat humans or starve to death so they aren’t truly evil either. So they go to purgatory, run by monster named Eve. From what I understand it’s kinda boring but no torture or demons or anything, so,” Gabe shrugged. 

“But I’ll hurt someone,” Madison said.

“You can eat animal hearts,” Gabe corrected. “And you loose all inhibitions as a wolf but not all personality so I’ve heard of wolves who can control it. Those might have been purebloods now that I think about it though. Haven’t had to brush up on my monster lore for a while,” he frowned in thought. 

Madison needed some time to think and they still had the other werewolf to gank. “I would volunteer but civil war, really can’t be down here all night.”

“I’ll watch her,” Sam offered.

“Sending me out in the cold again?” Dean said.

“You wanted to hunt werewolves.”

“Yeah, buck up Deano. I’ll help you lock her down for the night then I gotta get back.” At Sam’s look he grinned. “What? you weren’t planning to leave her tied to the kitchen chair were you? How strong do you think werewolves are Samster?”

It wasn’t hard for Dean to find and waste the prostitute hunting werewolf. Madison trashed her basement but survived the night. She’d also made a decision.

“What you two do, hunting. It would just be selfish of me to give up now if I could help.” 

Time for an awkward extended family meeting. They pulled up in the Impala to the address Gabe had jotted down on a Cassa Erodica stationary. In typical country hospitality, they were soon greeted by a woman carrying a shotgun.  
“Didn’t you see the signs? You’re trespassing.”

“Cept, we’re here on hunting business,” Dean was unintimidated and immediately friendly with another living the ‘life’. 

“We’re looking for the Campbells,” Sam also got out of the car but made sure his hands were in plain view. “Our mother was Mary Campbell.”

“Mary?” The woman repeated. She didn’t look convinced. “Chris! You got any family named Mary?” She hollered at the house.

“What?” A man opened the door at her shout.

Christian, his wife, Gwen, and Mark Campbell were used to dealing with other hunters and invited them into the compound without much fuss. They’d never tried to cure a werewolf before but Madison quickly charmed them into taking her in. They did have a panic room handy. They locked her in for the night, left Mark to stand guard then offered Sam and Dean a beer.

“So, Samuel’s grandkids?” Gwen seemed interested. “That makes us, third cousins.”

“Think so,” Sam agreed. He looked around the room at artifacts he didn’t recognize.

“Mom really did have some hunting history,” Dean was looking at some framed photos.

“Since WWI. Fraser Campbell, learned of vampires overseas came back and started fighting them here,” Gwen pointed to one black and white photo.

“All these years why’d you visit now?” Chrisian asked.

“Been kinda busy.”

“More so than the rest of us?”

“You notice more demons around recently?” Sam said.

The two Winchesters got back into the Impala richer for new contact information and assurances that Madison would be shown the hunting ropes. “And now they think we’re crazy,” Dean complained.

“Unless you wanted to tell them how we know the demons are planning something big.”

“Then they’d really think we were crazy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seriously, why didn't John ever contact his in-laws?


	6. Season 2 end

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Major changes in plot.

2:18  
“What are we doing here?” Sam glanced around the busy street. Men and women were carrying props and costumes to and fro.

“Who cares?” Dean was a kid in a candystore.

“Vacation,” Gabe patted Sam’s shoulder. When he didn’t look convinced he admitted, “okay, witness protection. I figured this would be the last place Michael would expect. But Castiel, no smitting, no flying, no grace.” Cas pouted, as much as he could while still being largely expressionless.

“Don’t worry babe, I’ll protect you,” Dean threw an arm around his angel. “We’ll take you target shooting and you’re already a badass with your knife, get you a machete.”

“Aw!” Gabe cooed loudly at them. Which startled Dean into removing his arm.

“Play nice,” Sam chastised. 

“That’s my baby brother he’s molesting,” Gabe whined. When Dean shot him a nasty glare Gabe responded with a smirk and stealth slapped Sam’s ass. Sam had a few choice words ready but they had been walking into a building while they talked and now a man called to them.

“You are a PA, right? Smoothie,” the man who considered himself important ordered. Dean shrugged and he and Cas wandered off to find said beverage.

A short while later Dean walked around the set offering smoothies to people. 

“Such effort for a movie that will be an hour long,” Cas looked at the set.

“Come off it, Castiel. The Coliseum, Metropolitan Opera House, Teatro di San Carlo. Humans love their entertainment.” Gabe grinned.

One of the actresses paused the shoot to ask about salt. Why would that stop a ghost? The producers and director agreed that didn’t make much sense and started talking about rewriting that bit.

“Come on people,” Gabe took this personally. “Salt, purifying properties, the essence of life, used as currency in Ethiopia, prevents meat from going bad, and as ghosts mostly take the form of water vapor in the mortal plane it reacts to them turns them into salt water which is too heavy for them to inhabit.” The director and staff just looked even more confused after this lecture. But the writer looked happy.

Staying with an arch angel who had a limitless supply of money, ‘gained more morally than most of your dough’, had the perk of two rooms in a four star hotel. After a day of not-hunting, Dean and Cas disappeared into their room but not before Gabe reminded them, “Hey, no grace! I mean it, if one lightbulb blows out we’ll have Micheals troops on us like…” Sam really didn’t need to hear the end of that and pulled Gabe into their own room by the back of his jacket. No lights blew out so Sam could spend the evening cuddled with Gabe and watching the discovery channel. They talked about miscellaneous things in between Gabe correcting the inaccuracies of the documentaries.

They were supposed to be laying low but they woke up the second day to discover a man had died on set for real. This didn’t dampen Dean’s or Gabe’s enthusiasm in the slightest.

“How about that for luck? I’m supposed to be hiding out for a few days and end up doing good anyway.” Gabe smiled around a lollipop stick. While he didn’t eat as much as he did while pretending to be the trickster he still always had a candybar or lollipop handy. 

“Not going back to Heaven?” Sam asked.

“Let Michael run around in circles looking for me a bit longer. Besides, this is too fun,” Gabe winked.

Sam left the set to do research while the other three collected intel by going native. Sam came back and almost couldn’t find them, they blended in so well. Dean had stolen a headset from somewhere and Gabe was lecturing the lighting department on how to properly make it look like night.

Sam stared blankly at his brother in the stupid head gear and phanypack and Gabriel arranging a lamp. The only upside was that Cas looked just as confused as he felt. Then Dean passed him the plate of free food and he was on their side again.

It looked like a pretty routine haunting and because Sam did his research, they knew who to unbury. Digging up graves went a lot faster four pairs of hands, even if Gabe wouldn’t let Cas use his angel super strength. 

Despite their efforts another man was killed overnight, by a ghost but a different ghost. “Necromancer,” Gabe nodded as if this made sense to him. At the confused looks he received, “what? Don’t tell me you didn’t hear that Latin she was spouting earlier?” A quick look through the tapes confirmed that real Latin summoning rituals were written into the script for the B-list horror movie.

They got their hands on the original script which turned out to basically be an instruction manual on how to summon spirits. The original author apparently snapped and decided to kill people for ruining his movie script. They’d seen some dumb reasons to kill over the years but really, a movie? They arrived on set just in time to prevent him from killing another guy. Sam chased after him to get the amulet he was using to control the ghosts.

“No smitting,” Gabriel shouted over his shoulder before following Sam. Dean wielded a shot gun to fend off the ghosts while Cas just pouted.

“Once this is over, you are learning to shoot,” Dean told his boyfriend.

2:19  
“That’s a terrible idea,” Sam complained when Dean wanted to hunt a ghost in a prison.

“That is really the last place Michael will look,” Gabe laughed. “Go for it, if it goes bad we’ll fly you out.”

“Don’t encourage him,” Sam sighed.

“You’re not coming?” said Dean.

“I’ll let you bugger him but I draw the line at prison,” Gabriel reached over and ruffled Castiel’s hair. The younger angel leaned away and shook himself as if dislodging the touch and/or shaking out his feather wings. “You kids have fun, we’ll do our war thing.”

 

2: 20  
Because Dean was a dumbass, he decided to investigate a suspicious building by himself without telling Sam where he went. How did they survive before the angels? Nobody responded to his prayers, Gabe had warned him they would be busy so he wasn’t surprised. It took him hours to find Dean and rescue him from the djinn. Hopefully being exposed to a djinn fever dream would teach him to be more careful, yeah right. 

“Cas was an army nurse, retired army I guess. And he had somehow talked me into marrying him, don’t know how. You were such a pansy and engaged to Jess.” Sam humored him and listened to him talk about the dream world the djinn had put him in.

2:21 Like the episode, this segment will be changing between Dean’s and Sam’s 3rd person limited perspective  
Dean took his eyes of Sam for a second. One second he was grabbing grub from a dinner, the next all the civilians were dead and Sam gone. The only silver lining was that he got prompt responses on both Bobby’s cell and the prayer hotline. 

==

Sam woke up in what looked like an abandoned wild west town set, complete with saloon, church and cobbler. He didn’t have cellphone signal and nobody answered his prayer for angelic assistance. Just a bit of wandering around and he ran into Andy, a boy Sam’s age who also had demon blood and psychic powers. They soon found Ava and two strangers. 

Sam was the only one who knew the whole story and despite having psychic powers, the others were reluctant to believe in the existence of demons. Only after being attacked by a demon, who apparently didn’t need a human host, and Sam warding her off with a iron fire poker, did they follow his lead.

==

“Where’s Sam?” Dean demanded from the arc angel. Gabriel had arrived but Cas was nowhere to be seen.

“Deep in enemy territory,” Gabriel looked angrier than Dean had ever seen him. “I’m surprised Michael’s still doing business with ‘corrupted ghost scum’. Never saw that coming.” Something blew up in the distance and a car horn started blaring from a few streets away. “Caught me unawares, the bastard. Oh, no,” Gabriel managed to make waging forefinger at the sky look menacing. “We’re finding Sam and then Michael’s going to get to see what I can do when I’m really pissed off.” Dean made a mental note to buy Gabriel a beer when this was over.

“But you know where they are?” Bobby prompted.

“One of a dozen places. Azazel’s got his little bitches spread out all over the globe. They’ve set Enocian wards set up round haunted sites. I doubt they’d take ‘em to India or Nigeria but I’m not counting anything out at this point.” Gabe was calmer at this point but still twitchy with fury. “Castiel knows Sam’s soul so he’s on the search party.”

“Why aren’t you then?”

“I’m protecting the flank, and you two. Last thing I need is to spread my forces too thin. Shit, d0 what you can. I’ve got a favor to call in with Death. I’ll be close, call me.” And with that he flew away.

==

“Why us?” Ava asked Sam as they gathered supplies.

“I don’t know about you but for me, it was in my blood. Both sides of my family have been hunting demons for generations.”

“What? So, my grandma had a run in with a demon or something?” She scoffed. Andy found two old burlap bags of salt. But one of their number had wandered off into the forest alone and hanged from the windmill for her troubles.

==

Dean got a phone call from a nervous Ash insisting he found something. Bobby and he jumped in the Impala and headed to the Roadhouse. When they arrived it was too a fair amount of shouting. Ellen stood out front arguing with several men.

“Winchester, what did you do?”

“Saved my ass, that’s what.” Ash chose then to stick his head out the front door. “You didn’t tell me you got a short angel.” 

Dean pushed past him and hurried inside. “Gabriel?” 

“Last chance, ghostie.” Gabe leaned over one prone figure, his foot pressed against the man’s throat and angel blade in hand.

“I’m a demon,” the captured man growled.

“Yeah, even more pathetic. You didn’t even have the gumption to stay on Earth, no you went to Hell and let it corrupt, ya.” Bobby seemed enthused in this information but Dean was more interested in the subject of the interrogation. “Now, where’s your boss?” 

“That’s above my pay grade.” Gabriel leaned harder against the demon’s neck. “I mean it, Azazel’s the only one who knows. Didn’t tell anyone.”

“Then he’s smarter than you. Dirtied soul release that mortal form and return to the depths of Hell where it will take years for you to crawl back out.” This English exorcism apparently worked just fine as the demon smoked out through the man’s mouth and disappeared. Gabe released the unconscious bar patron and tsked loudly. 

Ash showed them the research he had collected. Samuel Colt of the demon killing gun, had built a private railway in the shape of a demon’s trap in the middle of Wyoming. A lot of demonic signs were in the surrounding area, as if demons were circling the spot but couldn’t get in.

“Question is, did he build it to keep something in or something out.”

“Pretty sure I remember a hell mouth round here, somewhere,” Gabe jabbed a finger at the map. “Never met this Colt guy but I know my geography.”

“An opening to hell?” Ellen repeated.

“Free pass to Earth for lots of demons and ghosts,” Gabe confirmed.

“Sounds like an army,” Bobby grumbled.

Dean had something to say but was interrupted by a sudden headache. He saw a vision of a distinctive bell and Sam. Bobby knew that landmark and how to get there.

“What about this?” Ellen asked about the map of Wyoming.

“The demons will be heading there eventually. You can man that defensive while you two pick up Sam,” said Gabriel.

“You’re not coming?” Dean frowned at the angel.

“I gotta collect Cas and fend of Michael. I’ll join you when I can.”

==

Meanwhile Sam had convinced the others to barricade themselves inside one of the buildings. Andy had sent Dean a vision of where they were so all they could do was wait.

Never one to miss an opportunity, Azazel appeared to Sam in a dream. And told Sam the only way he was getting out of the town was to kill the others. Sam told him to go screw himself and woke up to Jake, the psycic with supersterngth telling him Ava had disappeared. Turned out Ava was a traitor and only disappeared in order to kill off Andy. Fortunately, she pulled the traditional villain mistake by boasting about how powerful of a psychic she was now that she had accepted her demonic powers. This allowed Jake to sneak up behind her and kill her.

Sam was ready to leave the town but Jake had also gotten the dream visit from Azazel, and unlike Sam believed everything the demon said. Nor was he about to be talked down by Sam’s attempts to pacify him. When Jake sucker punched him it broke something in his shoulder. However, Sam was used to fighting people stronger than him and quickly gained the upperhand. A few strategic moves that put a fence between Jake and him, and Sam was able to knock the other young man out. 

Sam stumbled towards the edge of town. Obviously he couldn’t kill Jake, other than being colossally stupid he hadn’t done anything wrong. 

“Sam!” At last, the spirit lifting call of his concerned big brother. Dean and Bobby ran towards him. The reunion was shattered with a gunshot and a shout. Jake was on his feet again but didn’t say that way. With a manly scream and a bullet in his thigh he dropped the knife he had been planning to use on Sam.

“You think I can’t use a gun, suckers?” Gabe’s familiar and annoying voice shouted from somewhere unseen. “You damn lucky I’m warded out otherwise I’d rip off your own arm and beat you with it. Then I’d heal ya’ cause we don’t want you dead, got that guys?”

“Who is this bastard?” Dean waved his pistol at Jake. He’d seen him about to stab Sam and he wasn’t happy.

“Someone like me,” Sam said.

“Exactly like you, except fucking stupid. Did Azazel take you out of your crib and drop you on your head? Listening to a demon. Demons lie, Dumby. Not that angels don’t, but we lie less, usually…” 

“The mighty horn of Gabriel,” Sam said jokingly, in a good mood after being saved.

“I heard that. Now get your ass over here, and bring the Dumb Dumb.”

2:22

Dean helped Sam walk out of the old town while Bobby frog marched the injured Jake. At the edge of the woods, Gabe dropped down from a tall tree with a holstered sniper rifle slung over one shoulder.  
“I use the long bow, too. You know how I like the sneaky warfare,” he grinned at Sam’s expression. He came over and patted Sam’s uninjured shoulder. “Better?” 

“Yeah,” Sam smiled and rolled his healed shoulder then used that fixed hand to hold Gabe’s face for a quick kiss.

“Hey, what about him?” Bobby gestured at Jake.

“Yeah, we need to keep him alive. Not a huge problem, but we can prevent a couple prophecies by Sam not being the only one around with Azazel’s blood.”

“Where is old yellow eyes, anyway?” 

“Hiding if he knows what’s good for him,” Gabe had none of his customary humor in his voice. “I got Cas backing up your hunter friends at the Hell Mouth. Putting up a few anti-angel wards will keep Michael’s troops from opening the doors. Don’t know if Michael would want to or can but,” he ended with a shrug.

“Angels?” Jake spoke up.

“Silence, Dumb Dumb,” Gabriel snapped before Dean could.

“You don’t get a vote,” Dean added anyway.

“Let’s see,” Gabe muttered and strode forward. He eyed Jake contemplatively. “Need someplace remote but also human creativity. Ah, Anna,” he said the last bit as if calling for someone and snapped his fingers.

“Yes?” A pretty red haired woman materialized nearby. Dean instinctively looked at her appreciatively then remembered this was Castiel’s sister and changed his gaze to a friendly one. Sam watched his brother perform this increasingly common yet subconscious activity with an eye roll. 

“And Mr. Signer. You mind hiding this young gentlesass in the coma unit of a Russian hospital or someplace equally safe yet hidden?” 

“Sounds fun,” Bobby said sarcastically.


	7. Season 3 and Serious Plot Changes Abound

Season 3: Episode 1  
Sam didn’t hear more about Jake for a few days, which was Gabe’s fault considering he kidnapped Sam and holed them up in a Swedish five star hotel for a few days. Who knew an arch angel would have abandonment issues?

When they were ready to work again, Gabe flew them to the Impala. The car was parked outside the normal motel fare. “Dean?” Sam opened the hotel room looking for his brother. He was there, and so was Castiel. “Oh God.” Sam beat a hasty retreat. To his almost equal horror Gabe had stepped in behind him and stayed there to watch. He had to pull the angel away before he could close the door. 

As they waited by the car Sam said, “You can wipe memories, right?”

Gabe tapped his forehead which didn’t remove the memories but did provide several black bars in strategic places. “You owe me.”

“Owe you?”

“Two words, chocolate fountain,” he answered with a dirty smirk.

“Changed my mind, put my memories back.” Gabe knew he was teasing so he just grinned and materialized a lollypop out of nowhere. 

Shouts and a crash, of a distinctly non-sexual nature, suddenly came from Dean and Cas’s room. Forgetting the previous embarrassment, Sam grabbed his gun and ran to help. He burst into the room only to find naked Dean sitting on the bed holding a gun and naked Cas sitting on the bed and completely unconcerned. A young man in a red and white striped server’s uniform and a “Wiener Hut” cap stood in the corner with a confused expression. 

“Do I cause offense?” the stranger asked.

“Samandriel,” Gabe started laughing his ass off. “It’s a mating ritual.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.” The angel adverted his gaze by looking at the ceiling. Dean grumbled something incomprehensible and pulled the sheet up so both he and Cas were decent.

Gabriel chuckled and walked over to wrap an arm around the newcomer’s shoulders. “Humans, meet one of your youngest sibling-in-laws.” 

“I am Samandriel, Angel of Lord, solider for arch angel Gabriel. I came seeking Castiel,” the young angel introduced himself.

“I am here,” Cas said needlessly. 

“Azazel and Michael have pulled several ancient demons from hell. And Michael has ordered investigations into your whereabouts.”

“And that couldn’t have waited?” Dean half-grumbled.

Gabriel chuckled and steered Samandriel towards the door. “Come-on kid, you wear the hat but have you ever tried the human delicacies of questionable meat product? Cute vessel by the way.”

Samandriel and Gabriel left shortly afterward and the others went demon hunting. Having an angel blade made the chore far easier than it used to be.

 

3:2

“Accidental deaths in a gated community? Something those big fancy gates can’t protect them from.”

“Cicero?” Dean perked up at the name.

“So, who’s in Cicero?” Sam asked.

“Lisa,” Dean looked dreamy for a second. “Man if I wasn’t with Cas.”

“Hello, Dean.”

“Damn it Cas!”

“Apologies, I’ve been ordered to ‘lay low’.”

“So you’re coming with us?” Sam asked.

“Yes.”

“You okay with Dean’s ex being around?” Sam wondered, he’d been okay with Cassie.

“She made you happy for a brief time, I have no reason to dislike her.” Dean, grinned and patted the seat next to him for Cas to sit.

They didn’t find ghosts or demons, only a group of creepy kids.  
“Those children aren’t human,” Cas said and took a purposeful steps towards three boys sitting together.

“Whoa, whoa,” Dean pulled on his arm. “Smiting kids in broad daylight won’t go over well.”

Predictably, Sam did all the research and found out what they were up against.  
“Changelings?” Dean asked.

“They climb in though the windows, grab the kids take their place.”

“So, the dad the babysitter?” 

“Yep, seems like they’re killing anyone who gets in between them and their food source,” Sam agreed.

“Why do they not feed off the fathers as well?” Cas asked.

“Wouldn’t be the first sexist monster we’ve met,” Dean shrugged.

==

“Dean,” after the case, and after all the children, including Lisa’s son were returned home, Cas spoke up. “Would you prefer biological or adopted children?”

“Cas unless there’s something about your vessel you’re not telling me, I don’t think kids are happening any time soon,” Dean answered jokingly but Sam counted it as progress that he was even willing to entertain the idea.

 

3:3  
Angels can’t cleanse cursed objects so there was no point in calling them in. Maybe they should have though when Sam was cursed with terrible luck. Then again, Gabriel probably would have just laughed at him. Dean left to retrieve the cursed rabbit’s foot from the woman who stole it from them and Sam sat alone in the motel.

But when Sam woke up tied to a hotel chair by two hunters who had decided he needed to die for having demonic psychic powers, he changed his mind. The lead hunter was also apparently a religious nut and saw Sam’s bad luck not as a curse on Sam but as a holy boon on him that helped him find his target.

“Yeah, about that, you ever heard of GABRIEL, or CASTIEL?” This statement awarded Sam another punch to the face. 

“Humans like you are really annoying.” An unfamiliar male voice made all three hunters jump. Sam twisted around but from his position couldn’t quite see who was speaking. “Dad’s left the building gents, he’s not coming back to help you through convoluted curse magic.”

“A demon came to save you, Winchester,” the religious hunter accused.

“And this is what happens when we aren’t allowed on Earth for centuries.” The angel stepped next to Sam’s chair and removed his duct tape bonds with a flick of the wrist. “Cassie couldn’t come so he sent me. Balthazar and you’re much too fluffy to be Dean so you must be Big Bro Gabriel’s squeeze.” The scruffy angel with a British accent reached over and ruffled Sam’s hair. Sam was too busy freeing his arms to swat the hand away.

“Hold it right there,” Sam’s attackers had guns out.

“Oh don’t shoot, I just got this vessel.” Balthazar didn’t seem overly concerned. “So what do you want? A flash of wings, some mind reading, or perhaps the riveting story of watching monkeys slowly figure out how to use thumbs?”

“You’re an angel?” 

“Yes, go spread the word that we walk on your planet again. I bless you to go kill demons and whatever of Eve’s children things your little homicidal heart desires,” he waved them off. 

“Can you prove it?” the religious hunter asked.

“Do you see this?” Balthazar asked Sam. “How irritating. Has fifty novelty items of Jesus in his caravan but can’t recognize the real thing. Here, loose your angel blade?” He pulled a silver short sword out of his sleeve. “Have another. I’ve got five. Michael’s soldiers just can’t keep a hold of them anymore.” Sam cooperated by taking it.

“Sam!” Dean entered the motel room then. “Who the hell are you?”

“Oh, it's Dean, corrupter of angels," Balthazar didn't really answer. 

"Oh it's another dick angel," Dean retorted easily. 

"You're working with angels?" the other hunters were still amazed by things. 

"Wait, are you guys here for Sam?" Dean noticed the other hunters. 

"Honest mistake," the religious hunter dismissed this. "The Winchesters are God's chosen," he mused and looked up at the ceiling. 

"It's not personal, they just have twenty plus generations of hunters backing them up." 

"Real, vote of confidence," Sam said sarcastically. 

"I still don't know who the hell you are." 

"Balthazar." 

"Thought that was a demon name." 

"It was an alternate name for Daniel from The Book of Daniel," the religious hunter corrected. 

"Are you still here?" Balthazar frowned at them. "Shoo, be free. Go do things" He waved them off. 

"Is that it?" the not as religious hunter asked. 

"I really don't care. You know what I'll send Naomi to pester you sometime, she's a total bitch, you'd like her." 

Balthazar eventually chased the guests away, so Sam and Dean could cleanse the rabbit's foot. Or at least, Sam was preparing the cleansing ritual, Dean and Balthazar were playing with scratch cards. "Here, try this one," the angel passed Dean another. 

"What's this?" 

"Italian, grand prize is a VIP trip to the vineyards. Thank you." Balthazar snatched the paper back as soon as Dean scratched it off. 

"Can we go?" Sam prompted. 

"One second," Dean finished and put the cards in his pocket. 

That's when Bella, the cursed item finder for the rich, appeared with a gun. Dean, pulled the 'we're all in the life' 'you don't shoot other hunters'. Which was ironic considering who Sam had just been attacked by. She shot Sam anyway. 

"What the hell is wrong with you!?" Dean shouted at the woman and then at the angel. "You just standing there?" 

"I think you're confusing me with the other angel the one in the trench coat who's in love with you." 

"You have the luck. You I can't hit but your brother I can't miss. Now put the foot down slowly," Bella ordered. 

"Alright, alright!" Dean crouched down but then tossed the foot at her. Which she instinctively caught and by touching it became cursed as well. She didn't have much choice except to burn it then. 

"I'm out a lot of money and on the bad side of a very powerful client," she complained as the rabbit's foot burned. 

"I don't feel bad about that, Sam?" 

"Not even a little." Sam was still holding his bleeding arm. Balthazar continued to just stand off to the side and look amused. 

"I'll see you around," Bella turned to leave. 

"Give the man his scratch cards back," Balthazar finally spoke up. Dean checked his empty coat pocket then snatched the lottery tickets back from the pickpocket. Once the woman left Balthazar said. "Love to stay and chat but our dear nagging Cassie is calling for me to come back him up, so got to jet.” 

"Hey! Hey!" Sam shouted but the angel didn't come back to heal him. 

3:4  
They met Balthazar again in a few days. Cas joined them at a bar only to have his brother follow.  
“Hello, Dean.”

“Hey, Cas.” Both Sam and Dean welcomed him back.

“I apologize for not coming sooner.”

“It’s okay I covered it,” Balthazar joined them without permission.

“Balthazar, why are you here?” Cas sat next to Dean while looking at the other angel. 

“Vacation. Yes, finally the rest of us have some shoreleave. You’ve had the easy assignment, Cassy. Shacking up with The Rightous Man and smiting ghosts. Don’t get me wrong I am completely jealous but you deserve every bit of it.” 

“This is your friend?” Dean asked.

“Brother,” Cas corrected.

“Favorite brother.” Undeterred, Balthazar kept talking. “Has time on Earth finally gotten that stick out of your ass? Or otherwise replaced it.”

“You’re an dick.”

“And now he’s bonded to you, so clearly Cassie has a type.” 

Sam chuckled quietly as Dean glared at the smug Balthazar and Cas looked exhausted but unsurprised by the arguing.


	8. Jimmy's Interlude

Sam knew he was dreaming because his teeth were loose. It wasn’t a bad dream but his teeth kept falling out. He had to push his teeth back into his gums in between wandering the halls of a library. He wasn’t surprised by Gabe joining him among the books. 

“Not a dream, Samo.”

“What?”

“I’m the real deal, dream walking,” Gabe said but Sam felt a little incredulous. “Didn’t tell you I could do that?”

“No. And how do I know this is real?”

“Shall I describe our chocolate fountain?”

“No, got it. What are you doing here?”

“Giving you an address unfortunately,” Gaberiel passed him a scrap of paper. “Last place Castiel was seen.”

The brothers cautiously entered the damaged building. They’d seen a lot in their lives but this was pretty bad. Live wires kept sparking and metal railings were twisted like snakes. 

“There’s been a fight here,” Dean stated the obvious. 

“You think Cas did this?”

“Looks like it,” Dean shown his torch on the angel banishment sigil. 

“They really are fighting other angels.”

Dean kept searching and soon spotted Cas’ prone figure. “Sam!” He called for assistance before worrying over his angel. “Cas, Cas! Come on, Cas!”

“Wh….What? What’s going on!” Cas jerked awake and stuttered in a voice that was higher pitched than normal. 

“Okay just take it easy, take it easy.” Dean was immediately weirded-out by the strange new voice and frantic hand waving. 

“You alright, Cas?” Sam asked even as the dark haired man grasped his chest as if feeling for something.

“Castiel! Castiel? I’m not Castiel.” The man who was apparently not Cas stood up. “It’s me.” Both brothers stared at him in confusion for a second.

“Who’s me?” Sam asked.

“Jimmy. My name’s Jimmy.” He answered in a slightly calmer tone as he regained his bearings.

“Where’s Castiel?” Dean demanded.

“He’s gone,” Jimmy shook his head to indicate that he didn’t know anything else.

They took ‘Jimmy’ back to the motel where he insisted on ordering several meals worth of fast food.

“Taking that a little fast?” Dean said, not able to stop his boyfriend nagging even though it wasn’t really his boyfriend.

“I’m hungry,” Jimmy shrugged.

“When was the last time you ate?” Sam asked out of curiosity.

“I don’t know, last time you gave me something?” Jimmy continued to over-enthusiastically eat. It was all kinds of awkward to see a guy, in what they knew as Cas’ body, moaning happily, speaking, and acting nothing like Cas. Cas never bothered to cover his wrist with Dean’s name on it but this Jimmy purposefully pulled down his sleeves.

“What the hell happened back there? It looked like an angel battle royal,” Sam tried to direct the conversation.

“All I remember was a flash of light and uh…I don’t know, I woke up and I was just, like, me again.”

“Cas was banished out of your meatsuit?” Dean asked.

“I really don’t know,” Jimmy said around a mouthful of food.

“So do you remember anything about being possessed?” Sam continued.

“Yeah bits and pieces,” Jimmy shrugged again. “I mean, angel inside you, it’s kinda like being chained to a comet.”

“Cas said you asked to be his vessel,” Dean frowned at the memory of his boyfriend and that he might not be telling the truth.

“Kinda, I always prayed for a purpose, like in general. He came to me.”

“We were told Cas was in danger. Do you know if he’s alive?” Sam spoke slowly and calmly.

“Sorry.” More head shacking from Jimmy.

“What do you remember?” Dean was getting frustrated.

“My name is Jimmy Novak. I’m from Pontiac Illinois. I have a family. Castiel…he spoke to me. Said he needed my help. That it was in my blood.” Jimmy’s eyes glazed as he thought back to then. “A war was coming he needed my help. Needed me to have faith. I trusted him.” Jimmy looked down at his hands.

“Hey, you have helped us,” Sam tried to comfort him a bit.

“No I know,” Jimmy went back to eating, this time forlornly. “Castiel used me, my body, to kill demons, save you guys, and stuff. But being warned ahead of time and doing it’s different.”

“He told you everything?” Dean asked awkwardly.

“About you, yeah.” He met Dean’s uncomfortable gaze. “It wasn’t ever me. I wasn’t…there. Castiel, that was all him, I never saw.” Jimmy looked away half-way through this babbled explanation. “But, yeah, he did ask permission.” That important point settled, the Winchester brothers went off to have a private conversation. They knew that they couldn’t let Jimmy out of their sight, at least not until they heard back from Gabriel. The other angels or demons would definitely be after him. Jimmy didn’t quite agree.

“The hell are you talking about I can’t go home?”

“There’s a good chance you have a bull’s-eye on your back,” Dean tried to explain.

“What? From who?”

“Demons, angels, take your pick really.”

“Come on, that’s crazy what would they want with me?”

“Information maybe?”

“I don’t know anything!”

“I know! But…” 

“Look I’m done, okay, with all of it, demon’s angels I just want to go home.” Jimmy interrupted. 

“We understand.”

“No, I don’t think you do understand. I’ve been shot and stabbed and healed. My body’s been dragged all over the Earth and used so an angel could have sex. Now by some miracle I’m out and I am done.   
“I hope Castiel’s alright, really, but he can find another vessel. It’s been almost three years. I’ve given enough, okay?”

“Look all we’re saying is that right now the safest place is with us,” Sam tried.

“How long?” Jimmy insisted.

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it,” Sam sighed. Jimmy shook his head and made for the door.

“Where’re you going?” 

“To see my wife and daughter, okay?”

“No you’re not. You’re just going to put those people in danger.”

“So what, now I’m a prisoner?”

“More of protective custody?” Sam suggested.

“You’ve seen the crap we’re up against,” Dean took over and got into Jimmy’s face. “You really want to bring that down on your family?”

“I’m just a guy from Illinois, this isn’t my life. You’re mate’s an angel but mine’s my high school sweetheart. She’s normal she didn’t even believe me when I told her about Castiel.” Jimmy pulled up his sleeve to flash the name ‘Amelia’ on his wrist.

“All the more reason to keep her out of it.”

Jimmy eventually gave up on arguing and let them put him on the sofa bed. He looked like he was sleeping so Sam figured he was safe to take a bathroom and pray for Gabriel break. Annoyingly, Jimmy managed to slip out and catch a bus before Sam noticed he was gone. 

Dean teased Sam for the slip up but wasn’t too concerned. Jimmy didn’t have much of a head start and had told them his hometown. As predicted, they arrived outside the Novak household before the evening. Through the window they could see the living room and Jimmy sitting next to a blond woman. They glanced at each other, both thinking the same thing. The brothers gave the couple a minute and stayed outside, surveying the area and putting down some salt and demon traps. They missed a back window because a pair of demons got past them and into the house. Sam and Dean rushed in when they heard the shouting. Dean stabbed one with his angel blade and the other smoked out. They quickly loaded Jimmy and his family into the Impala and sped off.

At least Jimmy finally believed them about the danger. It wasn’t hard to convince him to drop his family off with a stolen car for their transportation. Dean tried not to feel weird when he saw Jimmy hug his wife goodbye, it wasn’t Castiel. 

Unfortunately, it was only thirty minutes after this seemingly final farewell that Amelia called Sam’s cell to inform Jimmy that this was now a hostage situation. Demons holed up in a warehouse with wife Amelia possessed by a demon and daughter Clair tied to a chair. Sam and Dean tried to be sneaky but were very quickly jumped by minion demons guarding the back door.

“Know what’s funny?” The demon inside the wife asked once they were all in attendance.

“That you’re wearing a soccer mom?” Dean suggested.

“I was actually bummed to get this assignment, picking up an empty vessel. Even Castiel’s vessel, hardly exciting. Now look who landed in my lap.”

“Yeah, well, okay you got us, now let these people go,” Sam tried.

“Aw, Sam, it’s easy to act chivalrous when your archangel isn’t around, huh? Now for the punch line, everyone dies.” She pulled out a gun and shot Jimmy in the gut. It wasn’t Cas but that didn’t stop Dean from making an ‘oh shit’ face.

Impeccable timing as always, a flash of light came from the back of the room. The little girl stood up, burning away the ropes that had her tied. She gave her surroundings a familiar stare and head tilt. 

“Castiel,” Jimmy said while he lay bleeding on the floor. Sam and Dean took that as their cue to start grappling with their demon captors. The lead demon smoked out now that an angel was present so Cas, in the tiny body, stalked right up to the demon Dean was wrestling and smote it. Dean took the opportunity to grab his dropped angel blade and toss it to Sam. Years of teamwork had Sam easily catch the weapon and stab his own opponent. 

“Dean,” Cas looked up at Dean. 

“Shit, Cas,” Dean muttered, perturbed by the young body. It was definitely the angel, the girl’s formally blank wrist said ‘Dean’. Castiel eyed Dean and Sam, seeing that they were unharmed he/she/it went over to Jimmy who was now gasping for air.

“You have my gratitude for everything you have done.” Cas said but didn’t heal him. “We are at war, the apocalypse threatens all of us. I tried but I couldn’t protect your family anymore than I can protect mine. I can only promise that you will receive eternal peace in Heaven.”

“Clair?” Jimmy asked.

“Only those of your bloodline can serve as my vessel. She tells me she is willing.”

“No!” Jimmy grabbed Cas’ arm. “Take me instead.”

“Are you certain? You won’t die. It may be a thousand years or more before your soul finds peace. If these last years were painful for you…”

“That doesn’t matter! She’s my daughter.”

“I understand.” Cas said after a pause. “I’m sorry.” The beam of light that was Cas’ real appearance transferred back to Jimmy. His eyes and posture were back to normal as soon as the light faded. He sat up and spoke to the very confused little girl next to him.   
“Your father’s sacrifice will not be in vain. He will be my last host. Neither you nor your children will suffer because of me.” He told her solemnly. Cas then looked over and noticed the nervous mother. He nodded to Amelia and stood up out of the way so the woman could hold her daughter. 

There was a moment of awkward silence as Cas came over to stand next to the brothers. “You okay, Cas?” Dean asked.

“I’m…tired,” he answered after a thought. Sam was just about to ask after Gabriel when the sound of fluttering wings got his attention. He gripped his angel blade but it was only Gabriel.

“So,” the archangel stood next to the distraught woman and daughter. “I know this doesn’t really make up for anything but here you go.” He pulled a stack of bills of his pocket. “You’ll probably want to relocate, change your name, and here, car.” He set the money and car keys on the floor next to them.

“I’ll take care of them.” The red haired angel who’d taken Jake away reappeared.

“Yeah, this is Anna, she’ll see to you. Don’t wear yourself out,” He told the female angel then hurried over to Sam. “Samsquatch, I return.”

“Hey,” Sam greeted him with a smile despite the situation. 

“Told you this war was going down the crapper, I hate it when I’m right. Micheal’s made Castiel public enemy number one.” He nodded towards the younger angel. Castiel apparently was tired because he was leaning into Dean at this point.

“Do you have a vessel?”

“Yeah, archangels need them too, hence your part in the apocalypse.”

“He’s not still in your body is he?”

“Nah, kipped off to Heaven sometime during the Mongol’s rise to power. Hated Chingus Kahn, preferred to go to heaven than watch that asshole take over. He was a good guy, one of the humans that proved to me that you lot are just as worthy as my brothers.”


	9. Out of order now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Episodes are still labeled but things that happen in later seasons, with the angels, are now happening during season 3 so the episode numbers do not indicate order of events in this fiction.

3:6  
Even with angels added to their list of enemies, there were still ghosts to hunt. Besides, this ghost ship only appeared once every ten years. The Winchesters interviewed witnesses but couldn’t get any further before Bella decided to show up.

“We help people.”

“You’re a stone throw away from being a serial killer. I on the other hand get paid to do a job and I do it.”

“So a hitman. That’s noble,” Sam muttered. 

===  
The ghost had a severed hand in a museum, apparently his shipmates cut it off to make a hand of glory, which by the way was a dangerous magical artifact. Bella offered to let them in on her plan to steal it because it was a two man job. Bella’s plan was to join the charity event with Dean as her date. Sam agreed because it was nice to wear a tux for once rather than sneak in through a window, for a change. He regretted it when his date turned out to be a handsy older woman. Removing her hand from his ass was getting tiresome.

“Gabe if you don’t come down here, right now. You are sleeping on the couch forever.”

“Excuse me, madam,” Gabe appeared. He waved the woman away, she wandered away happily so he must have mind whammied her. 

“You’re here?” Sam hadn’t expected him to actually show.

“Well, I was fighting a war but my significant other threatened no sex, so,” Gabe shrugged dramatically.

“You didn’t have to come,” Sam frowned. Gabe noticed his expression and sighed.

“Sorry, shit may be going down but I shouldn’t take it out on you.” The angel sounded sad so Sam hugged him. They danced a bit until Dean and Bella returned. They headed for the exit but Gabe stopped them.

“Hey, who’s this and why’s she got a hand in her purse?” Gabe waved at Bella. Dean quickly checked his jacket pocket only to find it empty.

“Who’s this and how can he see through my bag?” She remained cool and passed her clutch to Dean.

“Hon, I’m Harry Houdini you’re some mall magician. I can see it when you lift something,” Gabe spoke to her like she was a kid. Sam smirked, she didn’t know how true that was.

Dean glared daggers at the woman until she left.  
“Can we please kill her?”

“Well…” Gabe drawled. “If she does die, she’ll go to hell, and very quickly become a demon. Just have to kill her again.”

4:17  
Sam woke up in strange place. Some office building, where was he, what was he doing? Gabriel stood in front of him.  
“Feeling better?”

Sam blinked a few more times, sorting through his memories of living as IT support in a big company. He’d spent the last week in a cubical.  
“What the hell happened?”

“I’ll explain later, you know where Dean is?”

“Yes.”

“Lead the way,” Gabe instructed. Sam ran to the elevator. 

“How’d you find me?”

“You called for me. Even with your brain all scrambled you remembered there was some important reason to pray,” the angel gave him a reassuring smile.

“Is this Michael?”

“But I recognize the work,” Gabriel shook his head as the elevator opened. Sam hurried to Dean’s office right in time to hear someone say.

“Well, son of a bitch, I’ll have to try again.” The balding man reached in to touch Dean’s head.

“Hey!” Sam held the door open for the archangel to walk in menacingly.

“Zach, I leave home for two thousand years and your ‘artwork’ still hasn’t changed much.” 

“Gabriel.” The man hissed.

“Wait what’s going on?” Dean didn’t understand. Gabe flicked his fingers in his direction. “What? Sammy? Am I wearing a tie? I’m starving.” Sam focused back on the angel now that his brother’s brain was back in working order.

“Really? You’re so desperate that Michael will accept the Righteous Man sans memories? Take the yes however you can get it?” Gabe squared off against the other angel.

“This is what you’ve reduced us to,” the balding angel radiated hate. “I still can’t believe you sided with these smelly little flesh bags.”

“I remember you having a hard on for Greek architecture.” Gabe took a step forward but the other angel held his ground.

“You want to fight here, traitor? Because I promise I will take this entire floor with me.”

“And I promise you have the count of three before my reinforcements arrive. You think Michael will risk a battle to save your sorry ass? One…Two…” With a scowl, Zach disappeared.

“What the hell did he turn me into?” Dean yanked at the sleeves of his dress shirt. “Fucking opposite day. Asshole made me eat rabbit food.” 

“Three,” Gabe added right as Castiel flew into the room. In an instant he tackled Dean and had him pressed against the desk kissing him furiously. 

“Did you tell Cas you fixed his memory?” Sam asked. Gaberiel shook his head with a chuckle. 

 

3:9  
“What are we doing here?” Dean glanced around the suburb Castiel had directed them to.

“Coven,” Cas gave a one word answer.

“A witch coven?” Sam asked while Dean groaned loudly.

“Azazel is recruiting. Witches sign their souls to the devil, it’s a fast and easy way to create more demons.”

“I hate witches,” Dean grumbled. “Always spewing their bodily fluids everywhere. It’s creepy. It’s down right unsanitary.”

“Pretty much,” Sam humored him by nodding along. 

“So what are we looking for, some craggy old blair bitch in the woods?”

“No it could be anyone, man, woman. That’s the problem, Dean, they’re human like everyone else.”

“There might be a demon in their presence, but it might also flee if it knows I’m coming,” Cas offered.

“Great, how many are we talking?” Dean still wasn’t thrilled.

“The largest coven in history numbered ten.”

“That’s not so bad,” Sam shrugged.

“You can’t sense witchcraft but you’ll be able to heal us if we start choking, right?” Dean asked. Castiel hesitated.

“I’ll be able to fly you away or burn down the building.”

“Eh, good enough.”

===  
“You didn’t clear the room? Damnit Dean,” Sam shouted at his stupid brother while searching for the hex bag. Seriously, search the hotel room before anything else when fighting witches.

“Samuel, collect your things.” Cas held Dean as he started to choke up blood.

“Let me find it, I…” Sam trailed off when he saw the dark expression the angel wore. “Right.” He grabbed his bag. “I’m going after the coven.” He hurried outside. He got into the Impala right before the cheep motel erupted in flames. That’d get rid of the hex. But seriously, don’t piss off angels. 

 

3:12  
Bella, the bitch, apparently got tired of them ruining her plans and called the police on them. This wasn’t the first time they’d been arrested so it was pretty business as usual until an FBI agent appeared. The same FBI agent who was present at that bank-robbery-shifter-case-fiasco. Apparently he’d also gotten wind of their escape from prison after hunting the ghost nurse and dug up records of their grave destroying habits. 

They were locked in the holding cell of the local sheriff’s office. It wasn’t a large town. Sam sent a quick prayer up to the angels but also told them it wasn’t a big hurry. These were humans, not monsters that were about to eat them, they had plenty of time before they were in danger.

The agent sauntered up to their holding cell after half an hour of waiting. He smirked at the brothers like he knew what was going on. Sam almost felt sorry for him, almost. 

“Do you know what I’m wondering?” The FBI agent asked.

“Whether Cialus would help you with your little condition?”

“What to have for dinner tonight. Steak or lobster? After all I’ve got a lot to celebrate, seeing you in chains.”

“Sorry, pal, got a boyfriend.” Dean bantered with the man while Sam just leaned against the wall and rolled his eyes. 

“Oh that’s right, you fight monsters. Well, hate to tell you but your daddy brainwashed you with all that devil crap and probably touched you in a bad place.” That made Dean sit up straighter.

“Hey, forget it,” Sam bumped his shoulder with his knee. “Cas’ll wipe his mind anyway.”

“Yeah,” Dean snorted. “Yeah, you go ahead and lock us up. We’ll disappear from there too. And in a few months when the apocalypse doesn’t happen, you’re welcome.”

“Already setting up for your insanity defense,” he muttered right as they heard a helicopter arrive.

A few minutes later a man they didn’t know wandered into the detention area. “Well, The Winchesters. I’m deputy director Steven Groves. It’s a real pleasure to meet you.” The man then pulled a gun on them. Sam grabbed for it on instinct and only then noticed the guy’s black eyes. He quickly recited an exorcism and the demon smoked out right as the others came running in to check on the gunshot. Even after that it took two more demon attacks, that killed most of the police station except for the FBI agent, receptionist, and one deputy, before the others would let the brothers out of the cell.

Dean grabbed a few things from the car and ran in right before the cloud of demons hit. It was like a bad storm plus an earthquake that covered the windows and shook the floor. Fortunately, the newbies had successfully sealed all the exits and nothing got in. When they couldn’t enter the demons flew off.  
Dean passed out anti-possession necklaces to the three survivors while they went over the plan. All they had to do was hold the fort until reinforcements showed up. Said reinforcements arrived shortly after a dozen or so possessed villagers started milling about outside. Sadly, it wasn’t the reinforcements they wanted.

“Oh, boys, boys. We leave you alone one day and you get hunted,” Balthazar flashed them a condescending grin.

“What do you want?” Dean groaned.

“I was the only one free. Unless you rather I send down a cupid. That could be arranged.”

“How exactly are you the only one free?” Sam asked.

“I’m Gabriel’s weapon master,” the English angel shrugged. “I fly in and out of the battle at crucial moments.”

“And here I was starting to think you were a coward.”

“Aw! Aren’t you cute?” Blathazar pushed past Dean to get to Nancy. “See these are the type of religious nuts I like, the adorable ones.”

“You’re an angel.”

“See? Smart too. Balthazar Angel of the Lord, here to save your asses.”

“It’s under control.”

“Are the others fighting right now?” Sam asked.

“So?”

“So, get back up there and help them.”

“There’s no pleasing you,” Balthazar snorted then flew away.

“That was your backup?” the agent asked. Before the brothers could answer, Balthazar reappeared with an armload of laundry.

“Didn’t think I was leaving, did you? Gabe would have my plums, which I’ve only had a short while but I’m fond of them. A mite uncomfortable but…”

“What are we supposed to do with this?” Dean glared at the sheets Balthazar tossed at him. 

“Uh, put the pentagon on it and drop it on the demon’s head,” he answered like that was obvious. With the flap of wings he teleported to the otherside of the room and this time held a net gun. “You wanted non-lethal, right. Ever tried this thing? It’s fun.” He deposited that in Sam’s arms then slapped his back as he fumbled with it. “Or my personal favorite.” He held up a sheet of small paper pentagrams. “Stickers.” Sam twisted to get a look at the sticker Balthazar had put on his shoulder. 

“These work?” Dean muttered.

“Ey, you got metal jackets?” Balthazar grabbed the nearest handgun. “Can carve symbols into those too. Demon can then dig it out though, so it’s only a quick fix. You got a bull horn Samo? And you know the Enocian exorcism, faster than the Latin.” He might have continued the lecture except he got a far off look in the eyes. “I’m afraid that’s all the time I have, gentleman and lady.”

It took some teamwork but humanity managed to beat back the demon horde. They exchanged numbers with the FBI agent, with Bobby so often playing FBI it would be helpful to have a real agent on the side of the hunting community. Afterwards, Sam and Dean waited for the angels to be done with their battle but all they received was Anna flying down to tell them that Gabe and Cas were alright but unable to visit.


	10. Witch Hunt

4:14  
With the angels busy, Sam and Dean decided to take a normal case, normal for them anyway. Mild mannered joes killing people. Turned out to be a siren. Which they didn’t figure out until it had put Dean under its spell.

“I’ve never appeared as a specific person, before,” the siren was grinning in a way that was just too damn creepy on Cas’ face. “My mother did but this is my first time. It’s a bit of a legend among my race, true soulmates.”

“Your mother?” Sam asked, mostly in an effort to stall.

“Where do you think we come from?”

“Do you know who you’re dressed up as? That’s Castiel, Angel of the Lord.” The siren wasn’t a total idiot considering the title gave it pause. “You think he’ll let you go if you do this?”

“Killed for love, that’s poetic,” the siren smirked. The monster then sauntered up and stuck it’s tongue down Sam’s thought. Which he was not expecting and therefore didn’t have time to react before his brain went fuzzy.

Sam didn’t remember much after that until Bobby showed up and saved their asses. Judging by his knuckles he went a few rounds with Dean but nobody was particularly injured, the monster was dead, and he had material to tease Dean with, so he chalked it up to as a win.  
They were packing up after that adventure Dean’s cell rang. “Hello?” Sam didn’t pay attention until what Dean said next. “Cas? That you?” Dean waved Sam over. 

“Where are you?...Texas?” Sam edged closer to listen in. “Are you alright?...You want to elaborate?”

“I just woke up here, the doctors were fairly surprised they thought I was brain dead.”

“And the hospital?” 

“There was another battle. I, um, covered by borthers’ retreat, ow, I blacked out after the banishment. Apparently I landed on a boat in the Gulf, I was told I upset the sailors.”

“You’re alright though?” Dean asked.

“No.”

“No?”

“You could say my batteries are drained.”

“Wait, you’re out of angel mojo?”

“I’m saying that I am thirsty, and my head aches. I have a bug bite that itches no matter how much I scratch it. Until I receive more energy from the host, I’m incredibly,”

“Human? Wow, sorry. Where’s Gabriel?” 

“Still fighting, I assume.” Sam poked Dean for attention until Dean swatted his hand away.

“He’s still alive, though?” Dean finally asked on Sam's behalf.

“If he wasn’t I’d feel it. The war’s still on, I just won’t be much use to them right now.”

“Right, so you coming to meet up with us?”

“I can’t go anywhere without money for an airplane ride, or a bus ticket. And food, more pain medication ideally.” 

“Well, no worries, Bobby’l wire you the cash. We’ll swing by, pick you up.”

They met up with Cas at Bobby’s then Sam and Bobby left Dean alone to fuss over the injured angel.  
“You carved a banishing symbol into your chest? Are you out of your mind?”

“It worked.”

“No shit it worked.”

Cas was still on the couch the next morning with Dean on the floor. If they were staying over at Bobby’s regularly these days, they should really get more beds.

4:2  
Castiel only had a day to rest before Bobby rallied the boys to check on a few fellow hunters who hadn’t been returning his phone calls. A cross state drive later and they found three local hunters dead in their own houses. Then they were attacked by the ghosts of people they had failed to save on previous missions. The ghosts were angry and surprisingly unfazed by salt and iron.

“It’s the rising of the witnesses,” Cas knew, of course he knew.

“Supposed to be a sign of the apocalypse,” Bobby had read up on this earlier.

“I don’t get it, I thought we stopped that,” Dean spoke up. 

“According to Gabriel, Lilith is supposed to be the leader of the apocalypse.”

“Lilith?”

“The one I was supposed to kill?” Sam remembered that bit.

Cas nodded. “The first demon, Lucifer’s favorite. She was sealed deep within Hell.”

“They didn’t bust her out did they?”

“We’ve prevented her release, but demons have ways to contact their own. Perhaps she has loaned some of her power to Azazel.”

“Perhaps?”

“I don’t claim to be an expert.”

“I’ll tell you what’s going on,” Dean spoke up. “We keep collecting allies now they’re taking them out.”

“Can you smite them?”

“I don’t know if I’m recovered sufficiently, regardless they’ll come back.”

“So you’re no better than iron at this point.”

“Don’t sweat it, Babe, can’t be expected to do everything.” Dean teased and patted Castiel’s shoulder which the angel found mildly condescending judging by his expression.

“Right, well you three cover me while I do the spell to send them back,” Bobby wasn’t fazed by much, thankfully.

 

4:12  
Sam liked magicians, that slight of hand stuff was impressive. Dean hated it, even when people didn’t try to pass it off as real magic. So of course he was bitching about the random magician who was faking a demon possession as part of his act. Cas just gave the guy his strongest confused head tilt. They were in town for another witch hunt. Which meant finding out who had a grudge against the guy mysteriously stabbed to death and finding real magic in the middle of a magician convention.

Dean had questioned a pair of retired magicians earlier but apparently they’d given him false information and sent him to a strip joint or something, he wasn’t sharing and Cas didn’t understand what he had seen to really tell Sam anything. “Dean, what did he mean by ‘safeword’.”  
Dean shushed Cas and the three of them confronted the two again.

“You know I could have you both arrested for obstruction of justice.” Dean was annoyed.

“No, you’re no fed.”

“We con people for a living, Son. It takes more than fake badge to get past us.”

“Heh, heh,” Sam pulled at his collar. This was the bad part about ‘fake it to you make it’.

“You caught us truth is we’re…aspiring magicians,” said Dean.

“Yeah, we came to the convention because we thought we could learn something,” Sam tried to make the lie more believable.

“Yeah, get ideas for our new show,” Dean didn’t know how to not dig a lie deeper.

“Ooh, what kind of show?” One of the men asked.

“Well it’s a...”

“Hah! There you are,” Gabe stepped between them before Dean could answer. It said something about Sam’s life that he didn’t even jump at his boyfriend’s sudden appearance. Gabe patted the brothers’ shoulders then grinned at the two elderly magicians. “Don’t mind my assistants, here, they think they’re so funny with their fake fed routine. Gabriel, just moved here form Norway, bigger revenues or so I’m told.”

“If you can compete against the young douchbags and their fancy lights,” one of the men said. They couldn’t talk further before the show began.

“You want to learn something? Stick around,” the magicians left for their curtain call.

“Assistants?” Dean grumbled.

“When’d you get here?” Sam asked.

“You kidding? I came as soon as I could. This is my area of expertise, Samtastic. I was pick pocketing my brothers before your fine human rear evolved.” He helped himself to a handful of Sam’s rear on the last part. Sam frowned at him and slapped his arm away before someone noticed. 

They watched Jay the magician perform an escape artist feat that shouldn’t be possible then went back to the hotel to do research.

“How you feeling Castiel?” Gabriel felt his forehead and checked ears. “How many wings am I holding up?”

“Three. I’m only tired.”

“Okay, well, I didn’t just stop by to check in. Look what I, finally scrounged up some more of.” Gabe pulled a jug out of his jacket pocket, of holding apparently, and set it on the motel table. 

“I thought Michael had destroyed the last,” Cas said.

“Just hid it and he’s not very creative in his hiding spots. Don’t waste this, kay Winchesters? It’s a hot commodity since the war started.”

“What’s it supposed to be?” Dean frowned at the urn.

“Holy oil. Set it alight and you got holy fire, one of the few things that can injure an angel. It’ll up right kill a cupid and even Michael and I can’t cross the flames.” Sam picked up the jug to see how much oil was inside. “A little bit goes a long way, it’ll burn indefinitely if an angel’s near by. Trust me, I tried it once. Burned a patch of my feathers off and everything.”

“Look this is great and all, but do you really expect us to keep tracking down witches. Azazel’s still out there,” Dean had a bone to pick with Gabriel now that they were in private. “The bastard killed our entire family.”

“Azazel’s protected by Michael. Who may not have done the grunt work but he’s the brains behind the plan that’s been screwing up your bloodline for generations. Bigger picture, here.”

“I’m getting real tired of hearing that. What do you want us to do, sit on our asses?” Gabe and Dean squared their shoulders off. Sam decided to let them shout it out.

“Listen to me you dick. Every demon and witch you take down is one less solider on Azazel’s side which is one less solider on Michael’s side which is one less idiot to ambush my brothers. If you're so eager to be in the spotlight maybe we should just start the apocalypse let you star as Michael.” Dean grumbled something but turned away, letting Gabriel have the argument. Sam and Cas rolled their eyes.

Sam got out his laptop to look up Jay’s history. Gabe leaned into his personal space to see what he was doing. “Oh, Jay. Yeah, had his name up in lights for most of the 1970’s. Been doing children’s parties since he got old-man-shaky-hand-syndrome.” When Sam looked at him he shrugged. “What? Told you, it’s my hobby.” He 

“Man, I hope I die before I get old. Ow! Did you just pinch me?” Dean glared at Castiel. 

“I was informed that a punch would be too close to spousal abuse.”

“You’re adorable,” Gabe grinned at them while simultaneously shoving a lollipop in Sam’s unsuspecting mouth. “Why don’t you circle back, Castiel? Let the other kiddies know you’re still kicking. Rachael and Samandriel’ve been worried bout you.”

“Will you be alright?” Cas asked Dean but Gabriel answered.

“Go head, I’ll watch ‘em.”

Cas flew off and Sam took the stick out of his mouth while still surfing the web. “Okay, looks like he’s using a death transference spell. One of the younger magicians, Jeb Dexter, supposedly committed suicide at the same time Jay was on stage.” He smacked his lips. “What flavor’s this supposed to be?” Gabriel smirked in a way that said Sam probably wouldn’t like the answer.

Par for the course, their next step was to kidnap Jay the magician and confront him about his magic.

“There’s no such thing as real magic. I’ve been around this my whole life, it’s all fake.” He, however, denied everything.

“What about Jeb Dexter strung up? Was that fake?”

“Something happened to Jeb?” Jay seemed genuinely confused.

“And… he’s not lying,” Gabe frowned at the man.

“What do you want to do?” Sam asked.

They tied Jay to a chair and tried to figure something out.  
“But even if he’s not casting the magic he’s still reaping the rewards. So clearly the witch is in Jay’s corner,” Sam puzzled.

“Okay, so his two friends, Charley and Vernon, are on the list, who else?”

“We could always ask him.” The looked back at the chair but the old man was gone. 

“Should have seen that coming.” Sam grabbed his gun.

“You let him get away?” Dean snapped at Gabriel who just shrugged. They ran out into the hall to find him. That’s when Sam realized that Gabe wasn’t following.

“Hey? You coming?”

“Is being so tall depriving you of quality air? Use your noggin.” The arch angel just grinned. Sam glanced around the room and sighed. He went over and opened the closet door. 

“Hi, Jay.”

“Don’t hurt me.” 

“Great, now what?” Dean complained.

“I say I wipe his mind and have him perform again. We spend tonight’s show watching his friends. If this witch is one of his best buds chances are they’ll try to recruit him and that’s what we’re here to avoid.”

“If we catch the witch will Jay die during his next act?”

“Yeah, but that was his plan all along,” Gabe shrugged.

“What?”

“He’s suicidal. Would have died days ago if not for the witchcraft.”

“He’s not going to go to hell because of that is he?” Sam asked.

Gabriel shrugged again. “Depends what else he did with his life. But a bit of chronic depression isn’t a mortal sin. My old man wasn’t that big of an asshole.” 

Before the show they broke into the dressing room to look for hoodoo. Nothing exciting until Charley caught them at it.

“Wait,” Gabe squinted and circled Charley. “Yeah, I thought I recognized you. Illusionist from the 1930’s right? If you’re going to be immortal you really should ditch the distinctive birthmarks,” he gestured to indicate the mark above Charley’s eye.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Charley shook his head until he reached into his pocket and found it empty.

“Looking for this?” Gabe held a deck of tarot cards. Charley opened his mouth to say something but Gabe stabbed him in the gut.

“Gee, what do you even need us for?” Dean grouched.

“You’re welcome,” Gabe smirked and underhand tossed Dean the deck. “If you want to give Jay a pep talk go ahead. Cas’ll be back when his siblings let him go. Balthazar’s probably trying to hug him again.”*

4:7  
A powerful 600 year old witch was attempting to summon the demon of Halloween, Sam Hane. This guy would be a serious boost to Azazel’s forces so Castiel was there to back them up. Without being able to track witchcraft, they were back to good old detective work. Dean had procured a fake ID badge for Cas, but he held it upside down.

“He’s uh, he’s new,” Dean tried to cover while Sam tried not to laugh.

Relatively normal witch hunt, seeing who had access to the ingredients and access to hide the hex bags. At least it was until a large black man appeared outside their motel room.

“Who are you, supposed to be?” Dean addressed the stranger first.

“Not here for you, Righteous Man.” The stranger looked past them to Castiel.

“I don’t want to fight you, brother.” Cas stepped forward.

“So you say yet you side with these mud monkeys.”

“Do not call them that.”

“That’s what they are, plumbing on two legs.”

“Their souls shine brighter than our grace. How can you not see?”

“Lucifer fell for these humans, you are no different.” Uriel whipped out his sword.

“Don’t do this, Uriel. Please.” Cas blocked the larger angel’s swing and held his arm still. “Think, brother, you’re defending a demon.” Uriel kicked Cas away and adjusted his grip on his blade. 

“To lead to their ultimate destruction, only. But look at you, Castiel. So weak, human, you’ve already fallen.” They clashed again. Silver blades too close to torsos until Castiel spun in place, dropped his knife from one hand to the other and thrust it into his brother’s gut. Uriel looked angry for half a second before exploding in light. 

Castiel remained there, looking down at the body and burned wing impression. Dean walked around Sam to cautiously approach Cas.

“Who was that?”

“Uriel. He was the funniest angel in the garrison.” Dean allowed him another moment of silence then patted his shoulder.

“Come on. Let’s get you outta here.”

5:7  
“Sam. Psst, Samster.”

“What?” Sam grumbled at being woken up.

“Hi.”

“It’s the middle of the night Gabe.”

“I know. Want to have sex?”

“No.”

“Okay, then I got a job for you.”

“You couldn’t have led with that?” Sam sighed and sat up.

“An arch angel’s got to have his priorities. Anyway, there’s this nine hundred year old pain in the ass somewhere in the this state or nearby.”

“Another witch?” 

“Him and his soulmate. Look, I like this guy, as far as witches go he’s one of the classier ones. But end of the day he answers to Hell and Azazel’s called in all witches to high recruitment mode so he’s got to go.”

“Right, any reason why you can’t waste him?”

“Not only am I busy, he’s also been around long enough to have hex bags hiding his location from any heavenly bodies.” Gabe leaned over and gave him a quick kiss. “Got you some extra cash.” He set a bundle of bills on the comforter. “Go find the card shark trading in people’s lives and stab him with an angel blade for me, kay?”

Sam called Bobby and got Dean and Cas out of bed. Bobby found them a 25 year old who died of old age, sounded like witchcraft. After confirming that the death was suspicious they checked out the recent missing persons. They found one of the missing men in a whore house, and thirty when he was supposed to be in his twilight years.

“How can you possibly be Cliff?” Sam squinted at the man.

“Witchcraft,” Castiel had his angel blade out and raised to stabbing position.

“Whoa there, Sparky, not like he’s hiding any hex bags.” Dean intercepted.

“It was a game.”

“Like Xbox?” 

“What’s Xbox?” wow, Cliff really was an old guy even if he didn’t look it. “Poker. He got out these weird chips said some mumbo jumbo over them and said we were now playing for years. I thought he was full of it but I came out ahead and look at me.”

“Right, where is this guy?”

“Don’t know he said he never stays in one place long and that he’ll find you.”

They split up to check every bar in town, there were quite a few. Dean found it first so he distracted the witch until Sam showed up and stabbed him in the back with an angel blade. A blonde woman on the other side of the bar freaked out but she didn’t get a chance to cast much magic on the boys before Cas got her.

 

4:15  
“No, no, you’re right it’s definitely weird. Yes, I’m looking it up right now,” Sam pacified Cas, who was sitting next to him, nagging him.

“What’s up?” Dean wandered back to their table from the jukebox. 

“Small town, nobody’s died in the last week.”

“It was on the ‘angel radio’,” Cas explained.

“So?” 

“It’s how they’re not dying,” Sam squinted at the news article he had just pulled up. “One guy with terminal cancer strolls right out of hospice. This other guy gets capped by a mugger and walks away. “Police say Mr. Jinkens was shot in the heart at point blank range by a nine millimeter.’”

“And he’s not a donut?” Dean asked. Cas leaned over to read the news over Sam’s shoulder.

“Locals are calling it a miracle.”

“Know what I call it? Missing reapers.”

“Get that to go.”

It wasn’t too far of a drive so Cas didn’t complain about how he could have flown them there instead.

“The last one to die was Cole Griffith,” Sam read off his laptop while Cas and Dean secured the hotel room with demon traps and salt. Couldn’t be too careful these days. “We should talk to him.”

“The doornail?”

“He was the last one to die around here, maybe he saw something.”

“I love how matter of fact you are about that,” Dean snorted, “strange lives.”

They went to the graveyard that night. Dean sat on a nearby headstone while Sam set up the summoning ritual and Cas checked the perimeter. Even as he worked, Sam could recognize Dean’s stink face.

“What?”

“This job’s jacked, that’s what.”

“How so?”

“You want me to gank a monster or torch a corpse, okay let’s light it up. But this…if we fix this people are going to start dropping dead. Good people.” He turned to Cas. “Can you heal them before the reapers get them?”

“That’ll be up to Death. I’ll have to ask for permission.”

“Great.”

“I don’t want them to die either, Dean, but there’s a natural order,” Sam answered.

“You’re kidding right?”

“What?”

“You don’t see the irony in that? Mr. I’m banging an arch angel?”

“The normal rules don’t really apply to us, do they?”

“So what? We get chosen by God to be the lead actors in his apocalypse and now we’re special?”

“Yeah, pretty sure that’s how it works,” Sam shrugged and went back to his spell. Dean sighed and gave Cas a disbelieving look. The angel managed to appear sympathetic.

“Hey!” Someone shouted. A man with a flashlight approached.

“Uh…” Sam said.

“Way to secure the perimeter, Cas.” Dean said.

“I was looking for demons, not humans.”

“What are you doing?” the man frowned at their pentagram.

“Uh, this?” Dean waved at their summoning spell. “This isn’t what it looks like.”

“Really?” the man raised an eyebrow. “Because it looks like devil worship.”

“It’s neutral magic,” Cas answered.

“Yeah, it’s uh…screw it, Cas, zap him.” Sam returned to the spell while the angel chased the night watchman to knock him out. 

Without further interruption they summoned the ghost. The dead kid had seen a demon grab the reaper that came to fetch him. 

“Do you know where the black smoke went?” Sam asked.

“No, but I know where it is.”

“Where?”

“…” the kid just looked at them. 

“Cole, this is important.”

“Why should I tell you? I don’t want to leave.”

“He’s a pure soul right?” Sam checked with Cas quick. The angel nodded.

“Cole, listen to me,” Sam took a step closer to the scared ghost. “I know this must be overwhelming right now. But Heaven is real. You’ll get to see your family again.”

They talked the boy into giving them the location of the demon. Unfortunately when they got there the building was covered in blue writing.  
“Let me guess,” Dean looked up at the funeral home. “Angel proof.”

“Yes.”

“If we’re going in alone, how are we going to find the reapers?” Sam asked. “We won’t be able to see them.”

Because only the dead or dying could see the reapers Dean decided they should try astral projection. Sam suspected he just wanted to try it for the fun of it. Cas thought it was a fine idea just warned them to practice picking up things before entering the funeral home. 

In the main room they found two unconscious people, a man and a woman guarded by a demon. As ghosts, Sam and Dean got to punch one demon before being trapped by an iron chain. Demons had come prepared.  
“Looking a little lightweight there, boys, have you been eating your vegetables?” a second demon stepped from the shadows.

“Azazel.” He wore the same meat suit he’d had on before.

“We meet again.”

“Why are you kidnapping reapers?” Sam asked.

“It’s fun for one thing. They’re like lemmings, can’t leave something unfinished. Just keep coming and coming. Diving off the cliff one after the other.” Azazel twilled the hand scythe he held.

“You’re going to kill a reaper with that? A little on the nose don’t you think?”

“Really? It was loaned to me by an old friend. Death’s had a fall out with his three palls. They’re jonesing for the apocalypse while he refuses to corporate.”

“The four horsemen?” Sam said.

“Look who’s read his revelations.” Azazel smirked. 

Azazel went over and grabbed one of the two unconscious reapers. The older man woke up long enough to look panicked before Azazel slit his throat with the scythe. “Got your angel guarding your bodies? Well, that’s just fine. I’ve got no where to be. We can keep your souls locked up here a couple days, till you starve to death.”

“You’re bluffing.”

“Oh Dean, look around, this place is Fort Nox. Enocian angel repellent. Witchcraft, some of my favorite old school hoodoo to keep your souls from running back home. I’ve even got this charming creature.” He prodded the female reaper with his toe. “As insurance to keep even old Death away. You’re going nowhere, boys.”

Sam and Dean looked at each other with concern. Azazel’s minion retrieved a shotgun and then shot Sam with it. He wasn’t expecting to feel anything but it hurt like a bitch. The demons had stolen their rock salt in shotgun trick.

“A couple days and a little brother in attendance. I’ve worked deals with less,” Azazel grinned at Dean.

“I’m going to rip your lungs out!” Dean shouted as Sam rematerialized. 

“If that’s what you want it can be arranged.”

“Dean, if…” Sam started to remind Dean that if he went to hell that would break the first seal. He didn’t get to finish because the minion demon shot him again. Being injured as a ghost put him in a strange limbo state so he couldn’t tell if he actually swore or just made gagging noises. Nor did he catch the entirety of the conversation between Dean and Azazel but he could tell it was mostly insults, on Dean’s end anyway.

Azazel reached over and grabbed Dean’s wrist. “How are you?” Dean tried to pull away but couldn't.

“I can snatch reapers, son.” He forced Dean to touch the chain to burn his hand.

“Stop it,” Sam demanded only to be blown away by rock salt again. 

They could have continued in this vain for quite a while if not for the angels. The windows rattled and a high whine could be heard outside. “Uh oh, someone’s impatient,” Azazel smirked at the sky. “Watch them,” he ordered the minion then went to the other side of the room, probably to check the Enocian wards. With his back turned Sam finally had the chance to communicate his plan to Dean. Fortunately, they didn’t need words just a few meaningful looks at the hanging chandelier. 

They squinted at the fixture and willed it to break with their minds until they sent it crashing down. Azazel ran for it but it hit the floor before he could catch it. It scuffed the markings on the floor just enough for the sleeping reaper to blink awake. Azazel swung down with the scythe but only hit the floor. She appeared next to Sam and Dean to unhook the chain keeping them prisoner then grabbed them both and teleported outside. 

“Thanks,” Sam gasped, still a little out of breath from being shot repeatedly. 

“We’ll call it even,” the reaper looked around as if she could see or hear something important. “You’re safe enough here. I need to reap this town.”

“Wait, Azazel’s still after you and the other reapers.”

“We have a job to do.”

“But can’t you, maybe, do it in pairs or something?” That at least made her think for a second. 

“I’ll ask Death.”

“Great, what about us?” Dean spoke up.

“Your side of the angel conflict has your bodies, they’ll revive you soon.” She looked up at the sky. “I have to go.” She disappeared before they could ask anything else. 

“What’s got her in such a hurry?” Dean muttered. That’s when the sky turned white and angel static voices filled the air. Even as ghosts they covered their ears as a nearby building burst into flame, a section of the assault exploded, and everything glass in sight shattered.

The racket suddenly stopped and Sam could feel his body again. He lay there gasping and looking at an unfamiliar ceiling. The sounds of Dean waking up in a frenzy came from beside him. “Cas!”

“Hello, Dean.”

“What the hell was that back there?” 

“I called for reinforcements, Azazel did the same. You saw part of the battle.”

“That was angels,” Dean said even though they all knew that.

“Where are we?” Sam asked.

“20 miles north, I moved you out of harms way.”

“Wait, what about Baby?”

“I’ll retrieve it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *youtube.com/watch?v=Fw9eupS1yzQ


	11. Convention Intervention

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Took forever, sorry. Good news is I have the ending all planned out.

Sam scrolled through multiple news websites, scanning headlines for anything interesting. Something jumped out at him that made him squint. Risking getting a virus, he clicked on the link. The webpage had a pentagram as the background. He only had to read a few paragraphs before he realized something was very wrong.

“…Dean.” Dean needed to see this. 

Dean was watching TV while waiting for a load of laundry. “What.” He came over to join Sam at the table.

“Uh,” There were no words. “We might have…I don’t know what we have.” He turned his laptop around so Dean could see.

“Supernatural?” He scanned the site. “Demon hunting siblings, Sam and Dean?”

“Keep reading, it gets better.”

“Blasphemous homosexuality? What the hell’s this?” 

“Dunno.”

Annoyingly, it only took a trip to the local comic book store to find the paperback novels. They then spent the next few hours reading about their own lives. Sam mostly just skimmed it to confirm it was the real deal then went back to his laptop. Dean read them more thoroughly. 

“I mean everything, even me having sex. And you having sex, I assume since you won’t let me see the last ones.”

“You really want to read about I do with Gabriel?” Sam snorted. He was hording the books with Gabriel next to him.

“Sammy, these were published, everybody knows. How did we not hear of these before?”

“They were pretty obscure, small publisher, looks like the only thing the author’s ever written. Looks like they ended up on a local channel on a slow news day. Went from there.”

“So what are we dealing with? Some peeping Tom angel? No way a demon could know all this.” Dean tossed the book aside then thought of something. “If Gabriel…”

“I promise you, Gabriel did not write these. Cas?” He asked mostly as a joke.

“Not kinky enough. He’d have an aneurism if he knew there was any description of my dick in print.” 

“Good to know,” he walked into that. 

“Should we ask ‘em?”

The sound of feathers gave them just enough time to flinch in preparation for attack before Gabriel appeared next to Sam. Always one to make a dramatic entrance when mentioned. “You finally found ‘em, huh?” He leaned on Sam's shoulder. 

“You knew about this?” Dean demanded.

“Unfortunately,” Gabriel shrugged. 

“Knew about what exactly?” Sam focused on the important question.

“A prophet.”

“What?”

“A prophet of the Lord. Has visions. Doesn’t even know he’s doing it.” Gabe waved this off as if it were old news. 

“A prophet?” Dean repeated. “So there’s a guy out there deciding our lives?”

“He isn’t deciding anything, he’s a mouthpiece, a conduit for the inspired word.” Cas arrived unexpectantly. He sat next to Dean on the bed with one of the books open to read.

“Oh Castiel, one novel series and you’re fanboying over Dad again,” Gabriel shook his head and pulled some candy out of his pocket.

“Like a new new testament?” Dean was still trying to wrap his head around this.

“One day these books will be known as the Winchester Gospel,” Castiel added.

“You got to be kidding me,” Dean said. He shook his head. "You were complaining about not getting credit," Gabriel ruffled Sam's hair. Sam smacked his hand away. “So not only have we been singled out by God to be angel vessels, which still creeps me out by the way. He’s got a prophet writing books about us?” Dean continued.

“Not a he,” Gabe interrupted. 

“What?”

“God’s genderless, we just use male pronouns cause your English doesn’t have a good gender neutral one. You were picturing a giant man in a toga, thought I’d educate you.”

“And the mind reading. Stay out of my head, Shorty.”

“See me in my real form sometime, Tiny.” Gabe jibed back.

“Alright, but how did these get on the news?” Sam returned to the important topic.

“Eh…” Gabriel stuffed a piece of candy into his mouth. 

“Really, dude?” Dean glared.

“Look, it had to be done. Michael’s got Raphael assigned to protect the prophet. And the more the profit gets out and talks to people, goes on book tours, excreta. The more time Raphael spends babysitting and not in the field, trying to kill us. And ‘fiction’ or not spreading the info around will give the common man more options to fight the demons, which makes Azazel’s forces weaker.” Dean snorted, probably at the idea of amateurs taking on demons. “Hey, the anti-possession symbol doesn’t need belief to be effective. Apparently they’re all the rage as tramp stamps these days.” Gabriel laughed loudly. “Damn why can’t I possess this girl? Oh she’s boys-love fan, has the anti-possession symbol on her ass. Saving lives one fangirl at a time.” Sam couldn’t help but chuckle along.

“Why would anyone want to read about our lives? Our lives suck,” Dean still didn’t find this funny.

“Plus, I can always toss the books at you if Zach tries to wipe your minds again.” Gabe completely ignored Dean’s whining.

“I’m not sure if that would help,” Sam considered. “These are one step above trashy romance novels.”

“Gee, who’s fault is that?” Gabe sounded sincere but simultaneously pointed at Dean and Cas with both hands. Cas still had his nose buried in the book. Intensely reading it like it was gospel, well, it was, sorta, still weird.

“Why would an angel need to protect the prophet?” Sam asked.

“Anything from general life mishaps to werewolves to the fact that I may have hinted that I’d be willing to make the prophet collateral damage.” Gabe smirked and Sam gifted him a mildly impressed expression.

“Dude, you were there,” Dean spoke to Castiel about the angel continuing to read the paperback. Experimentally, he tried to take it from Cas who responded with a game of keep away.

Gabe snorted at their antics then ruffled Sam’s hair again. “On the bight side, it could be hellofalot worse. How about we take you to dinner before getting back to the war effort. There’s this new high end barbeque joint in New York. I can zap us up some reservations. ”

They did end up going out to dinner but couldn’t stay afterwards. Sam understood and was happy enough with a goodbye kiss but Dean must have been sexually frustrated because he fumed once the angels left. He grumbled to himself and paced the hotel room under the pretense of putting things away. Sam mostly ignored him until Dean spoke up.

“I’m tired of picking off the second stringers.” This was apparently what he’d been thinking about because he said it with conviction.

“What do you think we can do, Dean?” Sam also stood. 

“The angels are the heavy hitters in this fight, and now we know where one is,” Dean grinned in the way that usually proceeded him doing something dumb.

“You want to take on Raphael?”

“Yeah, he’s guarding the profit. We just find the profit, threaten to shoot him and bag ourselves an arch angel.”

This was a bad idea, Sam knew this was a bad idea. But if he didn’t agree then Dean would just wander off by himself. And dumb plan or not, Sam did want to help the angels win their war. Dean started to pack while Sam googled Culver Edwen.

“Any idea where this prophet is?” 

“Uh, no, but I know where he’ll be,” Sam scratched his head awkwardly while he read the page advertising the convention.

“You got to be kidding me,” Dean looked over his shoulder.

“We can’t confront him when other people are around, he’ll smite the whole building.”

“It’s what, a six hour drive there? We’ll have to jump him afterward.” He leaned over Sam and poked at the laptop. “Hold on, costumes? What costumes?”

“There’s merchandise too,” Sam pushed Dean away and scrolled down the page. “Gabe was right, they’ve got shirts with the anti-possession symbol on them.”

“Great, wait other hunters hear about this. We’ll be a laughing stock.”

“Actually, this explains the texts I got from Jo, earlier,” Sam remembered.

“What’d she say?”

“That some of our fans had stopped in and she hated us. I thought she was talking about angels.”

“Great, Ellen’s going to kill us. Those books totally give directions to the Road House.”

“The demons already knew where it was,” Sam shrugged.

“Shit, what about Bobby’s?" Dean grabbed for the nearest novel. “Are any of our safe houses safe anymore?”

After much grumbling they packed up the impala and hit the road. Only half-an-hour into the drive Sam get’s a call from Jo’s cell.

“Since you’ve been ignoring us. We’re checking out this weird fan group ourselves.”

“No, get out of there!” When Jo started to make incredulous noises he continued. “Because there’s an arch angel there. He’s guarding the prophet.”

“Mom, Mom, over here, this is rich.” Sam sighed as there was a scuffle on the other side of the phone. “You said, prophet.”

“Yes, there’s a prophet writing about us.” There was no point in lying. Sam held the phone away from his ear as Jo and Ellen laughed. Dean spared the device a particularly contrite glare from the driver’s seat.

“Where are you guys?”

“About five hours out.”

“Kay we’ll scout things out till you get here.”

“You don’t have anyway to fight an angel.”

“Relax we’ll be subtle.” She hung up on him before he could say anything else.

Eventually, they made it. Sam had never seen so many Cevy Impala’s in one place before. Dean tapped three blondes on the shoulder, one of whom was a dude, before they found the real Jo and Ellen in the crowd.

“Boys,” Ellen glared at them. 

“Hi,” Jo seemed a mix between annoyed and amused, Sam probably wore a similar expression if he could see his own face. 

“This is freaking me out,” Dean frowned.

“The novelty wears off in about an hour or so.” Jo shrugged sipping some mixed drink out of a novelty mug.

“Alright, what do we know about this guy?” Sam tried to get back on track.

“His real name’s Chuck Surely. Ash cyber stalked him,” Jo offered. 

“He’s got a second hand Cadillac and one body guard, probably your arch angel. Don’t think he’s made us yet.”

“Any idea how to get them alone?”

“I’m thinking rabid fans are going to get caught in the crossfire no matter what we do,” Ellen shrugged.

“Right well let’s get the holy oil out of the trunk and you two bladed up.”

A short time later they cornered Chuck and shadow. It took some tag teaming with Ellen being a scary lady to chase away the fans, Sam using his bulk to block a doorway and Jo herding them into position by pretending to be a super fan. “Can I have your autograph?” 

“Um,” Chuck and angel were finally in position so Dean lit the holy oil circle. “Uh,” Chuck just stared at the flame, the bodyguard didn’t react at all. 

“So cool.” A random person from the hall caught Sam’s attention. 

“Uh yeah. Sorry guys, movie shoot.”

“What really?”

“Yeah, but you’re uh, messing up the audio so you gotta go.” By the time Sam shooed away the fans Jo had Chuck by the arm and Ellen and Dean were watching the captured angel.

“What? He’s not an angel. It’s just fiction.”

“Tell you what, let’s see him hop out of the holy oil and we’ll call it our mistake,” Dean looked at the angel who just gave an unimpressed glare back.

“Oh man,” Chuck didn’t seem nearly as surprised by this as he should have been. “why does this always happen to me?”

“Always?”

“You call me the ‘attractive blonde’ more than my name,” Jo indicated he would get no sympathy from her.

“I watched books full of gay sex,” Chuck whined. “When you finally showed up…I mean,” he wisely shut up when Jo glared.

“Who gave you the right to profit off our lives anyway?” Dean asked.

“Please don’t yell at me.”

“Pretty sure, God gave him permission.” Ellen sounded so much like Bobby for a second.

“But why me? I’m not even a very good author,” Chuck looked like he wanted a drink.

“Wait,” something about this didn’t sit right with Sam. “You knew about this?”

“I may have seen something. But come on, writing yourself into the story is one thing but as a prophet, that’s M Night level duchiness.”

“And he knew that you…” Sam gestured at the angel.

“So?”

“If they knew we were coming, wasn’t this a little easy?” Sam pointed out.

As if he’d been waiting for that cue, a second angel appeared. Dean was slammed into a nearby wall before Sam could recognize the newcomer as Zachariah. It was almost sad how quickly four professional hunters were dispatched by a single angel. Zach had torn something in Sam’s stomach that made him cough up blood. Sam did his best to ignore the pain and retrieve the angel blade that had been knocked out of his hand.

“Comfortable there, Sir?” Zach smirked at the still trapped angel. 

“Zachariah your place is below me.”

“Yes, sir,” he managed to sound condescending while turning on the overhead sprinklers. The holy fire started to fizzle, Sam realized they only had a few seconds. Sam scrambled to get to his feet. Zach noticed and twisted his gut again. 

“I had respect once.” Zach dropped a painting on Jo when she tried to stand up. “When I walked by they’d bow their heads. Then Gabriel came back, started preaching his free will. Now look at me. I’m an errand boy chasing after a bunch of under evolved flesh bags.”

Someone must have prayed earlier because Cas flew into the room.  
“About time,” Ellen must have been the one to pray because she commented on Cas’ arrival. He swung his blade at Zachariah’s face. The balding angel jerked backwards to avoid the attack and backed right into Dean. Dean was waiting with his blade and stabbed him between the ribs. The pain in Sam’s stomach stopped as Zach exploded. 

“Castiel,” Raphael spoke up. Cas turned to face him just as Raphael raised one palm. With a flash of light and Castiel’s scream the one angel on their side vanished.

Ellen tried to take advantage of the distraction but Raphael blocked her blade with his own. Dean stepped over Zachariah’s body to get to Raphael. The arch angel grabbed Dean with angel telekinesis and tossed him across the room to land on Sam. Sam had been about to stand up but was knocked back to the floor when Dean’s ass hit his face. Stupid angel probably thought that was funny. Ellen lost her sword duel when Raphael touched her forehead and smote her.

“Mom!” Jo’s shout was heartbreaking. Raphael glared at her then made a fist in her direction. Jo chocked once as her internal organs were crushed then collapsed.

“Bastard!” Dean yelled. 

Chuck finally decided to be helpful. He grabbed the angel blade Ellen had dropped and made a mad jab at Raphael’s back. Raphael saw it coming and grabbed his wrist before he could make it. 

“Chuck,” he sounded disapproving and uninterested at the same time.

“I don’t want the apocalypse either.”

“Michael will have words with you.” The angel back handed him across the room.

“Hey! Assbutt.” Cas reappeared with a flaming bottle. He threw a holy oil molitov cocktail at Raphael where it shattered and made the angel scream. With a brighter flash of light than usual, 

“Assbutt?” Dean always focused on the important part.

“I thought we were supposed to conserve that,” Sam thought out loud.

“Don’t care,” Cas said with bitterness. Dean surveyed Sam quickly to make sure he wasn’t injured then limped over to check on Castiel. The angel looked a little worse for wear with his coat torn and bloodied nose. Sam leaned on the wall to help himself up while surveying the destroyed room. Zach lay in a heap with burned wing impressions on the floor and one wall, Ellen’s eyeless corpse and the greasy smear left by Raphael’s explosion smelled burnt even over the sprinklers that were still going. Chuck was moaning in the corner so Sam decided to check on Jo.

“You okay, Cas?”

“No.” 

“Dean, she’s still alive,” Sam checked Jo’s pulse. 

“Cas?” Dean asked. Castiel took a single step closer to Sam and Jo before his knees buckled and Dean had to catch him. “Whoa, easy. Okay, we’ll get you both to the hospital.”


	12. Chapter 12

Sam salted the windows of the hotel room he’d rented for the night. Dean was still at the hospital but visiting hours were drawing to a close and the staff would soon kick him out. The hotel was nicer than their usual fare, partially because it was close to the hospital and partially because they had more disposable income these days.

He’d just finished when Dean entered, looking tired and frustrated.  
“How’s Jo?”

“Still outa it. The doctors were on my ass because we didn’t tell em what happened,” Dean dropped into the nearest chair. 

“And Cas?” Sam handed him a beer.

“Not a peep since Samandriel carried him off.”

Sam opened his own drink and sat down. “I called Bobby. Demons and angels are still gorilla fighting all over the globe. He’s passed out Enocian wards to everyone he knows.” Dean grunted in a way that indicated he didn’t think much of this information.

They’d left Chuck unconscious in the convention center. The police were probably questioning him about the dead bodies but neither Michael’s angels nor Azazel’s demons were going to hurt him so his safety wasn’t even on the brothers’ minds.

After much grumbling the brothers went to bed. Sam had warded the room against demons but not against humans. Which turned out to be a mistake when he was woken up by the sound of footsteps. Dean probably had a gun under his pillow but Sam didn’t so he just sat up to greet the two hunters who had broken into their room. He recognized them both, they’d kidnapped him during the rabbit’s foot adventure. He thought Balthazar had set him up working for another angel on Gabriel’s side.

“Morning boys,” the religious hunter said.

“Wait, you again?” Dean wasn’t overly perturbed by the guns pointed at them. “I thought we cleared this up. We’re fighting for the real angels.”

“Really? Cause that’s not what my angel said.” He blew away Dean. Sam had just a second to be look horrified before he was also shot.

Now that he’d experienced astral projection, it was less odd to find himself standing in front of his body. Dean’s spirit stood nearby, fuming. The situation went from bad to worse when Azazel appeared. Sam made a futile glance around for a weapon. 

“Boys,” the demon grinned and hefted the handscythe he held. They would have been in trouble if not for the next visitor. The weapon in Azazel’s hand became red hot, forcing him to drop it. It hit the carpet then a new voice drew their attention.

“Thanks for returning that.” An elderly gentleman sat at the breakfast table, scythe sitting next to him. The gaunt old man barely blinked but Azazel freaked. Black smoke flew out the window as quick as Sam’d ever seen. There were a few seconds of stunned silence then Sam pieced things together.

“Are you Death?” Sam made an educated guess. Death didn’t say anything but his expression was affirmative. 

“Are you here to help us?” Dean wagered.

“Why would I care for you or this world? I’m old, very old. This is one insignificant planet in a boring solar system in a galaxy that’s barely out of its diapers.”

“You’re not one of the horsemen?” Sam asked.

“I’m by far the eldest. The only other to match my power is God. And in the end I’ll reap him too.”

“God? You’ll reap God?” Dean repeated.

“Oh yes, God will die too.”

“Then, you’re basically, the angel’s uncle. God’s twin.” Sam considered this.  
Death gave a small shrug.

“That’s why you’re helping us? Family obligation?” Dean asked.

“No. If Lucifer rises I’ll be bound to him. Some nasty little magic given to him by God after one of our squabbles. I have more power than you can comprehend and I’ll be forced to obey a bratty little child having a tantrum.” 

“And Michael?”

“Michael’s a plebe, can’t appreciate art unless it’s his own face.”

“Art?”

“What do you think all this is? You’re all part of God’s art project.”

“And you’re here to burn it all?” Dean frowned at the idea that all of creation was a sibling rivalry.

“If everything lasts for ever it’s not really valuable is it?” 

“What about the other three hoursemen? Famine, War, Pestilence.” Sam tried to piece together the rest of the lore.

“My, our, younger siblings are sadists. Oh they have their place in the natural order of things but they’re so immature,” Death said dismissively then flexed a hand that wore a ring. “Now, you two are needed in Heaven.” 

Sam had read research that the light at the end of the tunnel could be explained by something to do with the optic nerve and brain chemicals from lack of oxygen, still it was a decent metaphor. A flash of light and Sam found himself in a house that took him a second to recognize. He’d spent Thanksgiving here once as a kid. A friend invited him over to her house and he finally got to see what all the fuss was about. Dean was, where was Dean? Didn’t he have a date this year? Wait, never mind the memory, where was Dean for real? 

He left the table to look around, the family eerily continued to play out the scene even after he moved. The sound of flapping wings had him reaching for a steak knife but it was someone he recognized.

“Sammy,” Dean said.

“It’s Sam.”

“Samandriel.” Sam and Samandriel said at the same time. Dean smirked like a jerk, so proud of himself. Sam gave him a pointedly unimpressed look before greeting Samandriel. 

“I’ve been told to escort you,” he explained.

Samandriel brought them to a bright, white, sterile room that instantly had all of Sam’s hunter instincts on alert and that was before he noticed the room’s other occupant.

“Cas! Shit, Cas.” Dean ignored everything else and ran to his injured mate. Cas was strapped to an exam chair looking even worse for wear than when he left after fighting Raphael. His new injuries were clearly intentional torture. Dean fussed over his bo so Sam scanned the area for their enemy. 

A brunette woman stood behind where Samandriel had landed. She smirked when Sam noticed her and twisted his arm behind his back. It was some judo-move arm lock, Sam didn’t know angels knew those things. She forced Sam down into one of the unoccupied dentist chairs. 

“Hey!” Dean took a swing at her but she quickly subdued him as well.

“Naomi?” Samandriel looked confused but quieted when she glared at him.

“Leave, Samandriel, I’ll handle everything.” She commanded and after a brief pause, Samandriel obeyed. 

“You’re working for Michael?” Sam pieced this together. Balthazar had said that Naomi was on Gabriel’s side but if this wasn’t a double cross he didn’t know what was.

“You can’t make us say yes to the apocalypse,” Dean shouted.

“I don’t care about the apocalypse anymore. It’s too late for that.” She snapped her fingers and tray tables full of surgical tools appeared by each of their chairs. Sam tugged futilely against his restraints. “I’m going to pull you both apart until there’s nothing recognizable remaining.” Cas tried to say something but just choked on his own blood. Naomi picked up one a saw from Dean’s table. “Then once Michael and Gabriel have killed each other I can make my remaining siblings into something orderly again.”

“Naomi,” Samandriel reappeared in the corner.

“What?” she snapped at him.

“Naomi, I can’t condone this.”

“You’re going to stop me?” She scoffed at the young angel. Samandriel didn’t reply, just looked over her shoulder.

“Hello, bitch.” Balthazar held a large crystal towards Naomi.

“No,” Naomi reached for him but her skin started to crack, magically drying out. With a scowl Balthazar whipped out his angel blade and took off her head. Her grace exploded in death.

Sam looked away from the light to face Samandriel who was unbuckling his restraints. 

“Cas!” Dean started hollering again even before he got untied.

“Dean,” Cas crocked as Dean and Blathazar got him propped upright.

“Shit, Cas, what did that bitch do to you?”

“Wonder why angels haven’t rebelled before now?” Balthazar nodded to Naomi’s body. “She was part of it. Michael had her reprogram anyone who questioned him. Cassy’s been under her care before, me too, and Anna, and pretty much everyone in our garrison.”

“Then why the hell did Gabriel take her?”

“Because she begged for forgiveness and she was our sister,” Cas said solemnly. 

“Damn stupid to trust her,” Balthazar berated himself while going through the dead angel’s things. It looked like he pocketed a few scalpels and a drill but Sam wasn’t paying close attention.

“Send us back.” Dean demanded.

Balthazar shook his head. “Better you stay here. Our brothers are about to slug it out and while you may get a headache from trying to understand things your tiny human brains can’t comprehend, there won’t be any eyes burning out.” 

“Where’s the battle?” Cas tried to stand straight but ended up having to lean on Dean.

“Not where you three are going.” Balthazar offered as the only explanation before picking up Dean and Cas to fly. Samandriel grabbed Sam. 

Sam blinked away the now familiar feeling of angel flight and this time found himself in a vaguely familiar botanical garden. Dean and Cas were standing nearby but nobody else was in sight.

For a few minutes they sat in silence. Dean confirmed that Castiel had stopped bleeding then went to the nearest tree. He tried to pull down one of the branches, no doubt to make a stake. Sam wasn’t surprised when the plant refused to bend. Frustrated, Dean tried a smaller tree and then devolved to just smacking leaves around.

“This is what they call the eleventh hour isn’t it?” Cas apparently felt well enough to whine.

“Pretty much.”

“It’s the eleventh hour and I’m useless.”

“How do you think we feel?”

A flap of wings and a rustling of leaves got their attention.  
“Dad?” Sam said but then quickly bit his tongue. On second look, it definitely wasn’t John Winchester. Dean had come to a similar conclusion and glared at whatever was wearing their father’s face.

“Michael,” Gabriel’s voice distracted them. Their arch angel approached from behind a tree, angel blade in hand. He waved a hand at Sam to retreat. Sam pulled Dean and Cas back so Gabriel could stand between them and Michael.

“Gabriel, they still obey you, do they know you killed their brother?"

“No,” Gabriel deadpanned. “He was never born. And you would have whored out John Winchester to make a back up plan.”  
Michael was too inhuman to shrug but his expression was dismissive. “Lucifer requires the Campbell blood more than I.” Angel blades matterlized in the angel’s hand. “You can’t kill me little brother. Not when you’re willing to sacrifice yourself for a seraph.” Michael looked to Cas and Gabriel tensed. Sam tried not show his nerves, could Gabriel win this fight if Michael was willing to fight dirty?

“No, Michael,” A new voice interrupted. An elderly black man calmly walked from behind several large plants. 

“Joshua, speak only the inspired word or not at all,” Michael said this threateningly but the eldest looking angel, who in reality was also probably younger than Michael and Gabriel, didn’t blink.

“God says that you’re adults now, you must make your own choices. He won’t stop you. But you’ve given these young ones enough trouble, Michael,” Joshua stood beside the two hunters and angel. 

“Our father would interfere to save them?” 

“Don’t do it,” Gabriel growled. Michael glanced between Gabriel and the others. Michael lunged for Castiel then. Dean and Sam pulled Cas behind them but not before Gabriel intercepted Michael’s silver blade with his own. The angel brothers stood locked in combat, one looking like their father the other Sam’s boyfriend.

A second Gabriel, that Sam hadn’t noticed previously lunged at Michael’s back. Sam didn’t see what happened next because it felt like a bomb went off. An unholy screech accompanied the explosion of light. If they were operating under Earth physics they probably would have been blasted of their feet. As it was Sam blinked back to awareness, still on his feet between Dean and Cas. His heart raced until he recognized that it was their side of the fight that had won.

“Dumb, zealot, abusive, bastard, dick.” Gabriel ground out this string of insults while glaring at what was left of his brother. Despite being slightly disoriented Sam reached for him. He placed a comforting hand on Gabriel’s shoulder. Gabriel patted the back of Sam’s hand and sent some glowing warmth between their grace and soul.

With a whirlwind of wing flaps the garden was filled with Balthazar, Samandriel, Anna, and easily two hundred more people they didn’t recognize, some of whom were naked. 

“Hey, kiddos,” Gabe gave the crowd a sad smile. There was a scuffle then a dark haired man had tried for a weapon but was disarmed and pushed to his knees by several others. 

“Stop!” Gabriel pointed to the raised blades. “No more killing. ” He eyed the captured offender. "Virgil?" 

“I will not follow a host ruled by you,” he said angrily.

“Alright,” Gabe sighed. “Anna, Balthazar, Ezekal,” he waved to the angels, “take him to Naomi’s rooms. Naomi herself is dead,” he added to the crowd at large. There was a bit of whispering and glances but nobody seemed upset by that news.

“What are you going to do with him?” Sam asked.

“Give him a chance to calm down first, then take his grace if he refuses to be reasonable,” Gabe shook his head. “It’s the most humane thing I can think of. When we fall we’re human. We can live a full life and go to heaven or hell like anyone else. I’ll leave that open as an option to anyone else too,” he glanced at the assembled angels but changed the topic. “How you feeling?”

“Azazel’s still alive,” Dean pointed out.

“Without Michael’s interference I can find him for you.” Gabe said. “Later though, oh man, there’s so much to do. We’ve got the host to piece back together. All your hunter friends gotta be returned to life. And tablets and Metratron’s still awol.” 

“Hey, hard parts over.” Sam hugged him.

“There’s paperwork, Samuel, paperwork!” Gabe was probably joking about this, because it made a few angels smile.

“We don’t use paper,” Castiel didn’t get it.

$UPERN@TUR@1  
Chuck sat at his computer desk, typing up the last revenge of the Winchesters. Several angry angels helped them chase Azazel into a trap but it was Dean who got to take the final shot. Two families plagued by God’s plans for generations could finally find peace.

“Hey, Dad.” Gabriel leaned against the desk, looking down at the writer. Chuck didn’t stop typing but glanced up at him with a small smile. “I know you got your own problems. We shouldn’t have expected you to be perfect. But Dad,” Gabe shook his head once. “You were a shitty parent.”

Without breaking his small smile, Chuck leaned back slightly and disappeared. Gabriel watched him leave the plane of existence then tilted back the laptop screen to read. “‘Gabriel could take comfort in knowing that his father loved him and was proud.’ Wow, not even a hug.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Extra bits:  
> “Most powerful beings in the world? That would be Death and God, then The other three ‘Horsemen’, God’s first child Eve, the Fates, Michael, Lucifer, Me, The Leviathans (we don’t speak of them),” Gabe mock whispered the last part. “All the other angels, Lilith, and whoever is the current king of hell are pretty much tied for eighth place. And then there are the Fairies. But they aren’t so much powerful as just don’t play by the same rules. If you cross over to the fey dimension you can kill them no problem but it’s really hard to step between the two worlds. I don’t know why Dad made it that way.”
> 
>  
> 
> Dean was bitching something awful. Sam knew his brother had issues with chronic depression and this was a stressful situation, but goddamn Dean was being a pain in the ass with his moping.  
> “God’s sake idjit, this is war, we don’t have time for your pity party. You wanta save the world, sit down and read the damn bible.”


End file.
